


A Clash of Silver and Gold

by Callista (Slytherin_To_Insanity)



Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Denial of Feelings, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Gryffindor!Joong, Head Boy!Hongjoong, Head Boy!Seonghwa, M/M, Magic, Mild Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Professor!Wheein, Romance, Slow Burn, Slytherin!Hwa, Wizards, mentions of other Kpop idols, oblivious hwa
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-17 02:46:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 26,842
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28592727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Slytherin_To_Insanity/pseuds/Callista
Summary: Park Seonghwa is the perfect student: Quidditch Captain since fifth year, straight O's on his OWLs, and Slytherin heartthrob. Now in his seventh year, he's finally achieved Head Boy – only to find he's sharing the position with Gryffindor Kim Hongjoong, a.k.a the bane of his existence. Can they make it to graduation without strangling each other?
Relationships: Choi Jongho/Kang Yeosang, Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Song Mingi, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Comments: 57
Kudos: 92





	1. The Trouble of Head Boys

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there, thanks for clicking! Slytherin!Hwa lives in my head rent-free so I had to write this. I'll do my best to update as soon as I can; this will probably be about 10 bite-sized chapters! 
> 
> Disclaimer: It's been a few years since I've read Harry Potter, so I apologize for any discrepancies in the lore! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi there, thanks for clicking! Slytherin!Hwa lives in my head rent-free so I had to write this. I'll do my best to update as soon as I can; this will probably be about 10 bite-sized chapters!

“You got Head Boy?” Wooyoung screamed, the sound far too piercing for the cramped train compartment.

Seonghwa winced in pain, rubbing at his ears, but couldn’t stop the grin from spreading on his face. “I did!” He held the polished badge up proudly. Head Boy was only given to the top two students in the seventh year at Hogwarts; while there was no official ranking, the faculty would decide unanimously on two students to bestow the honor upon, based on academic performance, extracurriculars, and general behavior. It was an extremely prestigious award, one that Seonghwa’s parents had been all too eager to brag about to their social circle.

The Slytherin could hardly believe it himself. All his hard work in class and as Quidditch Captain had finally paid off, and he really couldn’t be happier. 

He did wonder who the other Head was, though.

“We’re so proud of you!” San ambushed him with a hug, squishing the elder up against the window. “I knew you could do it!”

Wooyoung laughed at Seonghwa’s flattened form, making no move to rescue him from his newfound predicament. “As soon as Hogsmeade visits start again, we’ll treat you to butterbeer and anything you want from Honeydukes,” he promised, flicking his lilac hair away from his face. They’d all dyed their hair together over summer: Wooyoung had light purple, San’s hair was bright pink, and Seonghwa had opted for a light grey. 

“Sweets!” San perked up at the thought, releasing Seonghwa from his death grip.

“I’m not buying you sweets! What have you done that’s impressive, hmm?” Wooyoung demanded.

San let out a small hmph. “For your information,” he began snarkily, but the trio was interrupted by the door to their compartment opening.

“Aha! I told you I’d find them on the first try,” came a triumphant voice. Seonghwa stiffened. He knew that voice. It could only belong to one person–

None other than the bane of his existence, Kim Hongjoong.

In he sauntered, with a head full of cherry-red hair that clashed horribly with his red Gryffindor robes, a nasty smirk on his face. Jeong Yunho, Hongjoong’s best friend (also a Gryffindor), loitered outside uncertainly. Hongjoong stopped in front of Seonghwa, blinking in confusion. “Oh, you dyed your hair.”

“What’s it to you?” Seonghwa bit out. The sooner this was over with, the better.

He should’ve known responding would only provoke the redhead more. “It looks _great,_ ” Hongjoong practically purred. “I can imagine the headlines in the Daily Prophet tomorrow: ‘Slytherin’s Wonder Boy, aged 50 years from the stress of being too perfect’!”

Seonghwa scowled at him, fighting the urge to touch his hair self-consciously. “If being perfect is stressful, then it’s no wonder you don’t have any greys.”

“If I weren’t perfect, would I have this?” Hongjoong shoved something shiny into Seonghwa’s face, making the elder flinch reflexively. He ignored the Gryffindor’s peal of laughter at his expense and squinted at the object.

 _No._ If it were possible, Seonghwa’s heart would literally have dropped out of his ass. Unfortunately, it kept beating, which meant he had to continue living in this awful, _awful_ reality.

“You’re Head Boy too?!”

***

It had all started their first year at Hogwarts.

More than a decade had passed since the Battle of Hogwarts, and while there had been hesitation on behalf of all, the four Houses had mended fences and inter-House friendships were becoming increasingly common. Most notably between Slytherin and Gryffindor, which despite their long and turbulent history had, for the most part, transformed into a friendly rivals.

Seonghwa had been raised as a pureblood since birth – his family was old, but they had never taken Voldemort’s side, choosing to raise their heirs with the idea that, magic or not, all humans deserve respect and empathy. Young Seonghwa had taken these words to heart, and had never forgotten them.

However, it was difficult to remember this when it came to Kim Hongjoong.

Eleven-year-old Seonghwa had been wandering the Hogwarts Express, searching for Wooyoung and Yeosang, when he accidentally bumped into another boy. Quite literally – the force of it sent them both crashing to the ground. “Oh, I’m so–”

“Watch where you’re going!” The other boy had yelled, rubbing his shoulder and glaring at Seonghwa. It was one of those glances he’d seen his whole life from other old pureblood families: one of distrust and suspicious hatred.

He did what he thought was right – he glared back. “I didn’t mean to run into you,” he spat. “As if I’d want to touch someone as prickly as you on purpose.”

The other boy’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell does that mean? What, because I’m Muggleborn you think you’re better than me? Screw you!” The boy grabbed his luggage and ran off, disappearing down the hall faster than Seonghwa could react.

Well. That hadn't gone to plan. He decided not to dwell on it and found his friends easily after that, the three of them sharing sweets and chatting excitedly about Hogwarts.

The first time he saw the castle was just as majestic as he imagined it would. The lake had been lit with floating lanterns for the first-years, the castle lit from within by soft golden light. The ceiling of the Great Hall was enchanted, just as his parents had said – it was a beautiful clear night, and the stars seemed to smile down at him.

Oh, if only that were true.

“Jung Wooyoung!” Professor Jung called, and Wooyoung stepped up to the Sorting Hat with a nervous grin. The Potions professor looked stern and commanding, but gave each first-year a smile and a high-five regardless of their House. Seonghwa liked her already.

The Hat barely touched Wooyoung when it cried out “Slytherin!” All the tables cheered and clapped loudly, but there were piercing whistles and whoops from the Slytherin table. Wooyoung would fit right in, Seonghwa thought.

A few more students got Sorted, and then it was Yeosang’s turn. The blond sat on the stool for nearly five minutes, his face screwed up like he was arguing with the Hat. Finally, it yelled out “Ravenclaw!”

Seonghwa cheered, but stopped when he saw Yeosang’s expression, like he was trying not to cry as he looked towards the Slytherin table. Seonghwa’s heart clenched in sympathy; while the three of them were extremely close since they first met at age seven, Wooyoung and Yeosang had practically been raised together. Their families had always taken vacations together, and Seonghwa was sure the longest the two had ever gone without seeing one another was at most a week. They’d all expected to be in the same House, but instead Yeosang was seated halfway across the Great Hall.

Seonghwa was distracted by Professor Jung calling out the next name. “Kim Hongjoong!” And who else should step up to the stool but the kid Seonghwa had accidentally bumped into.

Just like with Wooyoung, the Sorting Hat immediately screamed out “Gryffindor!” Internally, he grimaced. Merlin help him, he would _not_ be in Gryffindor.

Finally, it was his turn. Seonghwa felt the knot inside his stomach tighten with nerves, loosening a little when Professor Jung offered him an encouraging smile. While the Parks were a pureblood family, his mother was a Slytherin and his father was a Ravenclaw, but his older brother had been a Hufflepuff. 

_Just not Gryffindor,_ he pleaded silently. _Anything but Gryffindor._

“Hmm,” the Hat said. “You know, a young boy with a lightning scar once said something like that to me about Slytherin. Interesting indeed.”

 _Please,_ Seonghwa thought harder. _Please please please._ And then, _Harry Potter???_

“Don’t worry, dear boy, you don’t belong in Gryffindor,” the Hat seemed amused. “You have the bravery though; oh! I remember your brother. He was a true Hufflepuff through and through. Your loyalty knows no bounds, and you’re quite studious… but I think there’s only one House that will let you truly thrive here at Hogwarts. You belong in SLYTHERIN!”

Raucous cheers greeted him once the Hat was lifted off his head. Wooyoung was already on his feet, his loud screech echoing through the Great Hall. Professor Jung high-fived him with a grin. “Welcome to Slytherin,” she beamed, and sent him off to be seated.

The rest of the Sorting was a blur – honestly, Seonghwa could hardly focus on anything except the giddiness that he was finally Sorted. He was officially a Hogwarts student! 

That night, he and Wooyoung had marveled at the Slytherin dorms together and slept soundly. Seonghwa had no clue of the chaos that was to come, when he would realize his first class held the menace that was Kim Hongjoong – Gryffindor, Muggleborn, and now sworn enemy of Park Seonghwa.

***

Hongjoong’s smug grin faded. “Wait, you’re the other Head Boy?”

“Oh, congratulations!” Yunho piped up, ignoring Hongjoong’s glare. 

“Thanks,” Seonghwa smiled back. To Hongjoong, he replied, “Looks like we’re on equal ground here, so why don’t you watch how _you_ speak to _me?_ ”

Behind Hongjoong, San and Wooyoung guffawed, shoving chips into their mouths like they were watching a Muggle film. “You tell him, Seonghwa!” Wooyoung snickered.

Hongjoong recovered from his shock quickly. “Well, I hear Head Boy is a lot of responsibility. You sure you can handle it along with being Quidditch Captain _and_ Captain of the Dueling Club?”

Seonghwa frowned. He’d only told Wooyoung, Yeosang, and San about his newfound Captainship of the Dueling Club. “How did you hear about that?”

Hongjoong scoffed. “Never you mind, Park. Anyway, I suppose I’ll be seeing you. Partner,” he sneered, exiting the compartment with a flourish.

“See you around!” Yunho waved. It sometimes surprised Seonghwa how nice the other Gryffindor was; he supposed it was nice to know that years of being exposed to Kim Hongjoong hadn’t corrupted the other.

“Man, Yeosang will be upset he missed that. I know he’s been itching to hex Hongjoong into next week for what happened last spring,” San smirked.

As if on cue, Yeosang popped into the compartment. “What did I miss?”

Seonghwa sat back and watched Wooyoung recount the scene with a fond smile, laughing at Yeosang’s indignant cries at the Gryffindor’s rudeness. It was boisterous and familiar, and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

And yet, his mind dwelled on Kim Hongjoong, with his sneers and insults. Knowing he had a full year of working alongside the snarky redhead filled him with unease, and he shuddered at the horrid thought. Hopefully, fate (and his professors) would be merciful enough that he wouldn’t have any classes with the other.


	2. Howdy, Partner

“Put me out of my misery,” Seonghwa whined, thunking his head onto the Slytherin table. Wooyoung and San were already digging into their lunch, but stopped at the pathetic sight.

San whistled in sympathy. “That bad?”

“Worse,” Seonghwa groaned. “Kim Hongjoong was in my Charms  _ and _ Transfiguration period. That means I share at least half my schedule with him!”

Wooyoung slid a piece of chocolate cake over to him, a clear attempt to cheer him up. “What else do you have left?”

“Advanced Potions, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures.” Seonghwa answered, voice muffled still by the table.

“That’s alright then!” San exclaimed. At their questioning glances, he elaborated, “I heard through Yunho that Hongjoong’s going into fashion after graduation. There’s no reason for him to be taking any of those classes, right?”

“That’s right!” Wooyoung cheered. “You’re a genius, San!” San went pink at that, ducking his head shyly.

Seonghwa wasn’t convinced though. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he popped up in all of them just to spite me,” he said, stabbing the chocolate cake vindictively.

“Kim Hongjoong is petty, but he’s not  _ that  _ petty,” San scoffed. 

Wooyoung was wrong: San was not a genius. 

“Welp, I was wrong,” San announced when lo and behold,  _ Kim freaking Hongjoong  _ strutted into the Potions classroom like he owned the place. He stopped at Seonghwa and San’s workplace, his classic smirk on his lips.

“Well, if it isn’t Wonder Boy. Fancy seeing you here!”

It took all of Seonghwa’s self-control not to hiss at him like a cat. “Kim,” he gritted out instead, turning back to San. Hongjoong was so annoying, but Seonghwa was determined not to engage.

The Gryffindor opened his mouth as if to say something, but was interrupted by Professor Jung entering the room. “Mr. Kim, please take a seat,” she reminded gently.

“Yes Professor,” Hongjoong muttered, plopping himself next to Yunho – and conveniently, right in front of Seonghwa, as if taunting the Slytherin.

Seonghwa ground his teeth and strengthened his resolve. No one, not even Kim Hongjoong, would take the joy of Potions class from him.  _ No one. _

Ever since his first-year, Potions was Seonghwa’s favorite class. Part of this had to do with Professor Jung Wheein, the Slytherin Head of House; ever since his first day at Hogwarts, she had cemented herself as the favored professor. Fair but stern, she encouraged the students to do their best regardless of innate skill or magical background. Professor Jung had noticed Seonghwa’s natural affinity for Potion Making since his first year, and he often found himself as her classroom assistant – a position he was more than happy to hold.

“You have a real gift, Seonghwa,” she’d told him. “I hope you’ll consider a career in Potion Making. Who knows, maybe you could take my position when I retire! In at least twenty years though,” Professor Jung had said with a playful wink. Seonghwa had taken her words seriously and gotten himself summer internships at various apothecaries.

Now, he was finally taking the last classes he needed for a full-time job at the Crescent Apothecary, perhaps  _ the  _ most prestigious apothecary in the country where he would work on researching and developing newer, more effective potions to help all sorts of magical folk. 

And he would be  _ damned  _ if he let someone like Hongjoong get in the way of his future.

_ I can do this,  _ he repeated to himself, letting the words comfort him.  _ I can do this. _

He should have known it would all go downhill when Professor Jung unrolled a long piece of parchment. “Welcome class, to the last Potions course you’ll take at Hogwarts!” She grinned. “A lot of the work in this class will be extremely difficult to complete alone, so I have assigned each of you a partner, effective from now until the end of the school year. The assignments were based on past grades and performance and are non-negotiable!”

Seonghwa relaxed. As far as Potions was concerned, Seonghwa knew he and San were practically on the same level. They’d probably be paired together.

That hope was instantly dashed when San got paired with Yunho, the pink-haired boy shooting him an apologetic glance. That was okay, Seonghwa reasoned desperately. There was still Felix, a Ravenclaw Prefect who wanted to go into Potion Making like him. 

“Park Seonghwa and Kim Hongjoong–”

Seonghwa’s blood froze. He must have heard wrong. There’s no way even he would be  _ that  _ unlucky.

He prayed with all his might that he misheard, valiantly avoiding looking at Hongjoong, who was no doubt smirking and rubbing his tiny hands together diabolically.  _ Curse him _ , Seonghwa thought bitterly. 

It’s not that Hongjoong would be the worst partner either – the Gryffindor was perfectly competent, which only made Seonghwa even more furious. Such a gifted student, and what did he choose to spend his time doing? Pranking and bullying Seonghwa!

He kept his eyes squeezed tightly shut up until the moment a body dropped heavily into the seat next to him. Seonghwa cracked an eye open and groaned. 

“Is that any way to greet your year-long partner?” For Merlin’s sake, Seonghwa could practically  _ taste  _ the other boy’s delight. 

“Whatever, Kim. As long as you can keep up, we won’t have any problems,” he gritted out.  _ Lies.  _ Seonghwa had major problems with Hongjoong, but the least he could do was try to be civil. Maybe, just maybe, they would make it through the class unscathed.

“You absolute buffoon!” Seonghwa yelled not ten minutes later, glaring over his simmering cauldron at Hongjoong. Barely halfway through their first class, Seonghwa has  _ had it. _ “Do you even know how to  _ read? _ The textbook clearly says to  _ roughly chop _ the tumbleweed, not make a paste out of it!”

“Well, Park, maybe if you weren’t such an uptight snot-nosed goody-two-shoes, you’d see that making a paste enhances the potion’s effects! It’s more effective this way!” Hongjoong fired back, intimidating despite his stature.

Seonghwa wouldn’t back down though, his blood already boiling with righteous fury. “This is a _textbook_! We’re supposed to follow the _instructions_! Redo it!” How dare this prankster think he knew better than Seonghwa, who was clearly superior in Potions?

The Gryffindor rolled his eyes. “What, like textbooks are always right? Where’s your creativity? What happened to striving for perfection?”

“Perfection means  _ following the book! _ ” Seonghwa screeched, his hands cupped protectively over their potion as Hongjoong tried to scoop the offending paste into the cauldron. 

“You’re such a–”

“Just redo it–”

“Uptight goody-two-shoes–”

“ _ Menace– _ ”

“Boys! That’s enough!” Professor Jung ordered. “You’re disturbing the class.”

Seonghwa finally registered the silently incredulous stares from the other students. He saw San and Yunho both wincing in sympathy at them.

“I expected better from you two. Top students, and Head Boys at that! I won’t assign detention this time, but that will be fifty points from each of you. Now sit down, and finish your potion quietly,” their professor continued. She added a stern glare, and Seonghwa sat just from the sheer force of it.

His face burned with shame. Never before had he been scolded in class, and now he’d set his House back fifty points. Fifty! It was all Hongjoong’s fault. 

To his surprise, the Gryffindor didn’t say anything further, his face half hidden by his cherry-red hair as he worked quietly. Between the two of them, they managed to make a decent potion, earning back twenty points for their work. They didn’t talk even when they cleaned up, and while Seonghwa relished the peace, he couldn’t help but dread the inevitable prank Hongjoong would pull on him after this.

The students gradually shuffled out of the classroom after the bell rang, and Seonghwa made his way to San, who was chatting quite amiably with Yunho. Actually, now that he looked around, it seemed most of the pairs from class were still talking. Hongjoong on the other hand had bolted from the classroom the second they were dismissed.

_None of_ them _are having any issues_ , Seonghwa thought darkly. He regretted the thought almost instantly – it’s not like him to be so petty, but with Hongjoong he just couldn’t seem to help it.

“Seonghwa, are you okay?” San asked, pulling him into a one-armed hug as they headed to their next class. “I’ve never seen you lose your cool like that!”

“I’m fine, just pissed. Hongjoong almost messed up our potion today!” Seonghwa complained, the mere thought of the redhead making his cheeks heat in anger. “Why is he even taking this class?”

“Oh, it’s for his fashion line. He wants to experiment using potions along with traditional dyes to weave magic into the fabric,” Yunho piped up. “Joongie’s not the greatest at charms, but he’s pretty good at potions.”

Seonghwa cringed at the nickname.  _ Joongie.  _ As if that hellion deserved a cute nickname like that. “I would think he’d be good at charms, considering how many he’s fired at me since first year,” he snarked.

Yunho opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by his boyfriend Mingi. “Yunho!” The tall Ravenclaw squealed, throwing two long arms around the Gryffindor.

“Mingi!” Yunho kissed him on the cheek, cooing gently at his boyfriend.

“Ugh, lovesick giants,” San grumbled.

Seonghwa had to agree. The two had been dating since fourth year, and three years later were somehow still the most affectionate couple they had ever seen. While they weren’t close with Yunho, Mingi and Yeosang had gotten to be good friends by virtue of living together, and he sometimes joined Yeosang at the Slytherin table for lunch. It was nice… until Yunho was brought along and the couple made eyes at each other.

No, Seonghwa was not jealous. Not at all. Though it would be lovely to have someone to squeeze tight and breathe in… 

But the Slytherin had no time for dating, and no one at all seemed interested except for the girls and boys in his fanclub (unfortunately, they scared off any potentially serious prospects he’d once had).

San, on the other hand… despite his groaning, he was watching the couple with longing eyes. Seonghwa was sure he was thinking about another person, possibly with lilac hair. “You know, I’m sure Wooyoung would go with you to Hogsmeade if you asked. The two of you… alone…” Seonghwa waggled his eyebrows at San suggestively.

“No!” San swatted Seonghwa. “Stop  _ doing  _ that with your eyebrows, that’s nasty! And I don’t like him like that!”

“Don’t like who like what?” Wooyoung materialized out of nowhere, and San shrieked so loudly even Yunho and Mingi stopped their PDA to stare.

Seonghwa face-palmed as San stammered out excuses while Wooyoung wrapped an arm around his waist, escorting the pink-haired boy off to Ancient Runes with a wave to Seonghwa. Honestly, they were so clueless… He had half a mind to lock them in a broom closet so they would finally talk about their feelings.

That would have to wait though. For now, Seonghwa had Herbology, which was blissfully free of Kim Hongjoong.

The rest of the week passed peacefully with only minor bickering between the two, but now it was Friday. Or, for Seonghwa, the night of the activity he was dreading the most – a two-hour long patrol with Hongjoong, to make sure no students were out after curfew. It was part of the responsibilities of being Head Boy; he’d been used to it since he became a Prefect his fifth year, but he’d been lucky enough to be paired up with Yeosang for the patrols. Unfortunately for his sanity, it was tradition for the Heads to patrol together.

To be fair, it was normally tradition for the Heads to get along, but that was proving more than a little difficult.

“I’m just saying, this patrol would go a lot faster if we used our Patronuses!” Hongjoong whined, wand already out as if ready to cast the spell. 

Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “There’s only fifteen minutes left of patrol, Kim, don’t be such a brat. Besides, we aren’t supposed to be using magic unless absolutely necessary. It’s in the rules,” he insisted. 

“So boring,” Hongjoong muttered, but obediently shoved his wand back into his robes. Seonghwa eyed them with distaste – the once-black robes had been altered to a bright Gryffindor red, with brilliant gold designs that shifted and traveled across the fabric like Muggle animations. It was… impressive, Seonghwa could grudgingly admit. But it was entirely too flashy for a school uniform! He expressed this to Hongjoong, only to receive a derisive snort in return.

“Guess you’d better report me to Head Boy then. Oh,  _ oops _ . That’s me,” he chortled. Seonghwa seethed.

“Don’t forget I’m Head Boy too,  _ Hongjoong, _ ” The Slytherin growled.

Hongjoong smirked, stepping into Seonghwa’s personal space. “What are you going to do, Park? Punish me?”

“Yes,” Seonghwa said dryly. “With a Bat-Bogey Hex.”

Hongjoong immediately retreated, hands up in mock surrender. “Really now? Well then, it’d be a shame if the uptight Head Boy couldn’t hex me because he was stuck in a painting.”

“Stuck in a–” With a quick shove, Hongjoong pushed Seonghwa into an empty picture frame he hadn’t even noticed was behind him. “Hey! Kim! Get back here!”

“You make a nice portrait, Park,” Hongjoong said, batting his lashes sarcastically. “Now your fanclub can stare at you all they want instead of annoying the rest of us as they chase you!”

Seonghwa flushed. He didn’t even know  _ why _ he had a fanclub, they just crawled out of the woodwork one day. To be fair Yeosang had one too, but the Ravenclaw was much harsher to anyone who came close so they mainly just admired from far away. “Kim Hongjoong, let me out right this second–”

Hongjoong sauntered away with a salute, whistling some annoying song. “Sorry, no can do. See you later, Park!”

“KIM HONGJOONG!” Seonghwa bellowed, but to no avail. He sighed, slumping to the floor.

“Bad night, dearie?” A portrait across the corridor asked sympathetically.

“You have no idea,” Seonghwa muttered.  _ Just you wait,  _ he thought.  _ I’ll get you back for this, Kim Hongjoong. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm so soft for yungi and it shows


	3. Not Today, Hongjoong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little short, but I hope you like it! Heads up that there's a little bit of a time skip here: last chapter took place early September, and now we're in late September. Also in case it's not super clear, all the members are in their seventh year and will graduate together! Here are the houses for reference (don't worry, Jongho's coming soon!):  
> Slytherin: Seonghwa, San, Wooyoung  
> Gryffindor: Hongjoong, Yunho  
> Ravenclaw: Yeosang, Mingi  
> Hufflepuff: Jongho

“Seonghwa, wake uppppp,” Wooyoung whined, pulling the fluffy blankets off the sleeping Head Boy.

“Mmmff,” Seonghwa said eloquently. “No, gimme–” he blindly reached for the blankets. Wooyoung, curse him, danced just out of reach. “‘M cold,” he complained, curling himself up into a tight ball to preserve the last of the warmth.

It was only late September, but the Slytherin dorms were in the dungeons and naturally got much colder than the rest of the castle. All the blankets had heating charms imbued into the fabric, of course, but the heavenly warmth was currently in the arms of a _madman._

“It’s only 8AM, go back to sleep!” San poked his head out of his own covers (which were still wrapped securely around the boy! The blatant favoritism was astounding) and tossed a pillow at Wooyoung, who dodged the lousy throw with ease. 

“No, you sloths, it’s Saturday! It’s the first visit to Hogsmeade of the year!” He screeched, marching over to the velvet green curtains and throwing them open. 

Seonghwa hissed. Wooyoung was lucky the other two boys who shared their dorm were visiting home for the weekend; Keonhee might've hexed him for being so loud. “Urghhhh,” he groaned. “Ten more minutes?” He begged, squinting and pouting to the best of his ability. 

“Pleaseeeee,” San said cutely, and Wooyoung caved faster than Yeosang in front of fried chicken. 

“Fine,” he relented, flinging the blanket back onto Seonghwa who grabbed it with all four limbs, practically melting into it. “But no more than ten minutes! We have things to buy, people! Fizzing Whizzbees! _Butterbeer_! Think of the sweets!”

Half an hour later they were on a carriage with Yeosang, who looked like he might kill Wooyoung for dragging them all out of bed so early. 

That murderous intent immediately faded from them all as they breathed in the cool autumn air – the leaves were starting to turn beautiful shades of red and gold as the last of the summer heat finally left them. That, along with the hot chocolate Wooyoung had snuck out of the kitchen, was starting to make the group feel quite at peace with the early outing.

Many students seemed to have the same idea – Hogsmeade was already bustling with eager third and fourth-years, the majority of them ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the massive selection at Honeydukes. Seonghwa couldn’t blame them; he’d grown up with sweets like Chocolate Frogs and Sugar Quills, but Honeydukes’ impressive inventory never failed to impress even the most seasoned sweet-tooth. 

Yeosang pulled them into the store, making a beeline for the display of seasonal chocolates. “They have pumpkin caramels!” The Ravenclaw squealed, jumping up and down in his excitement. He grabbed three packs off the shelf without hesitation, hugging them tightly.

“You’ll melt them like that, Yeosang,” Seonghwa nagged. “Here, put them in this basket. We’ll share.”

Wooyoung and San had gravitated towards the section of ‘prank sweets’ – a deadly combination. Seonghwa made a mental note to not accept any sweets they gave him for the next few weeks.

A cry of distress distracted him from his worry. “Shit! I left my coin pouch in my other jacket,” Yeosang said as he patted himself down.

“It’s okay, I’ll treat you,” Seonghwa offered.

“Aww, how tooth-achingly sweet of you,” a voice cooed sarcastically. Who else but Hongjoong should appear, flanked by Yunho and Mingi like they were bodyguards or henchmen. The height difference was almost comical, but Hongjoong still managed to exude a confident air.

Just like that, Seonghwa’s good mood evaporated. “Kim Hongjoong,” he greeted coolly. “Yunho, Mingi,” he threw them a strained smile that they returned, albeit more genuinely (though they escaped the tense atmosphere immediately by running off to the frozen treat section). “If I knew a fun-sucking vampire would show up today I would’ve brought my garlic.”

“Fun-sucking vampire?” Hongjoong repeated with a chortle. “That’s the best you could come up with? I thought you were _witty,_ Park.”

Seonghwa’s cheeks heated uncomfortably, but before he could think of a snappy retort, Yeosang spoke up. “Kim Hongjoong,” he smiled pleasantly. 

_Oh no._ Yeosang _never_ smiled pleasantly, and most certainly never at Hongjoong. The Gryffindor involuntarily took a step back, smirk wavering.

“Kang Yeosang,” he said warily, eyes darting between the Ravenclaw and Seonghwa.

“You’re lucky we’re in public – don’t think I’ve forgotten about last spring. I owe you one.” Yeosang was still smiling, but there was a threatening aura around him that had even Seonghwa on edge.

The Incident last spring had gone something like this: Seonghwa and Yeosang had just finished Transfiguration and were headed to lunch when Hongjoong, lying in wait for Seonghwa, fired off a charm that would turn the Slytherin’s then-black hair bright pink. However, Seonghwa just so happened to bend down to adjust his sock – and so Yeosang fell victim to the prank.

To most, it would have been no big deal. Yeosang, though, was extremely shy and introverted around most of the student population partly because of his nature and partly because he was worried they wouldn’t like him, a fear stemming from childhood experiences. He’d begun coloring his blond hair dark brown just to stand out less–

–only to now have a full head of extremely eye-catching bright pink hair. 

The charm had lasted an entire _month_ ; the first two weeks, Yeosang had hid himself in the Slytherin dorms with Wooyoung to keep him company, too shy to even attend classes. When he slowly began to resume normal activities, however, many students went out of their way to compliment not only his new hairstyle but also his studiousness. It helped him gain confidence instead, and Yeosang had actually kept his hair pastel pink for the rest of the school year.

That still didn’t stop him from holding a grudge against Hongjoong, though. Happy ending or not, the first two weeks had been hell for Yeosang, and Seonghwa was more than eager to back whatever plans he had.

So far, that consisted of not-so-subtle threats to Hongjoong, though only if Seonghwa was around. “It’s mostly just fun to see him squirm,” Yeosang had laughed. “I don’t actually need to hex him to get my revenge: as long as he _thinks_ I might, I win.”

“Are you sure you shouldn’t have been in Slytherin?” Seonghwa had asked him on multiple occasions, but it was clear that Yeosang belonged in Ravenclaw. Only his thirst for knowledge could rival his hunger for fried chicken, and Yeosang loved chicken more than anything.

Well, sweets came in a close second. Then Wooyoung, Seonghwa, and San – most likely in that exact order, though Yeosang would never admit it.

In Honeydukes, Hongjoong wrinkled his nose. “Sorry for interrupting your _date,_ ” he said snidely, looking Seonghwa up and down.

“Don’t worry,” Yeosang smirked, wrapping a slender arm around Seonghwa’s waist, “we’re just getting started.”

Hongjoong turned an interesting shade of purple. “I– you–” The Gryffindor stood gaping like a fish out of water, mouth opening and closing uselessly.

“Come on, Seonghwa, let’s go. I want to see the other chocolates!” Yeosang grabbed Seonghwa’s hand and tugged him away, sending Hongjoong a mock salute. “Bye bye now.”

“What was that about?” Seonghwa wondered once they were out of earshot. “Why did you act like we were on a date?”

Yeosang shrugged, his attention already caught by a package of gold chocolate bars. “He keeps calling us boyfriends, so I wanted to see what he would do if we actually acted like it. Did you see his face?” He snickered, and Seonghwa had to laugh with him. Hongjoong _had_ looked ridiculous.

And yet, Seonghwa couldn’t help but ponder _why_ he’d looked so upset. 

Was he...

Was he interested in Yeosang?

It would explain the way he seemed to taunt Seonghwa a little harsher when Yeosang was present. Maybe he was, in some weird way, trying to show off? It would explain why he seemed to think the two were dating; he was clouded by _jealousy,_ Seonghwa realized. That had to be it! Why hadn’t Seonghwa connected the dots before? In hindsight, it seemed so blatantly obvious that the Slytherin almost pitied Hongjoong.

The mere thought of Kim Hongjoong dating Yeosang sent a queasy feeling down Seonghwa’s gut; Yeosang was savage and a little too obsessed with chocolate, but he was still innocent and precious and Seonghwa would do anything to protect him from the nasty, redheaded prankster. _No,_ he resolved. Hongjoong would _not_ date Yeosang – not if Seonghwa had anything to say about it.

With that, he firmly tucked all thoughts of the fellow Head Boy away and focused on having fun with his friends.

“Yeosang, you bought _ten boxes_ of _chocolate???_ ” Wooyoung cried indignantly when they reunited outside the shop.

The Ravenclaw beamed with pride. “I know! I exercised so much self-control this time!”

San squeaked out a laugh, but was interrupted by a loud growl from his stomach. “Okay, looking at all those sweets made me so hungry I could eat a hippogriff,” he laughed.

“Butterbeer!” Seonghwa cheered. “Wooyoung, didn’t you say you’d treat us?”

A loud cheer went up, drowning out the lilac-haired boy’s futile protests. 

In the end, he did treat them all to lunch – “But this is only because Seonghwa got Head Boy,” Wooyoung said sternly as he bought them another round of butterbeer.

“You’re the best, Woo!” San looked at him with sparkling eyes, making Wooyoung choke on a mouthful of the sweet drink. 

“Do you think they’ll get together before we graduate?” Yeosang murmured to Seonghwa as they watched San fuss over the other.

“If they don’t get together by the Yule Ball, I’ll trap them under magical mistletoe myself,” he whispered back, snickering with Yeosang.

Seonghwa felt a pair of eyes burning into his forehead and looked up – sure enough, there was Hongjoong, sitting across Yunho and Mingi and staring daggers at Seonghwa. An odd feeling made its way into his chest, and he hugged Yeosang closer to him protectively in response, raising an eyebrow at the grumpy Gryffindor. _Not today, Kim. Not on my watch._

Hwa watched smugly as Hongjoong finally looked away, relaxing his hold on Yeosang. But...

Why did he still feel so strange?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seonghwa, you're doing great sweetie...


	4. Tricks and Treats

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tags for this work are updated to include a brand new ship ;) also please note there is a very brief mention of nudity in this chapter along with mild swearing!
> 
> I'd also like to thank everyone for reading this far, you all are motivating me to keep writing and I'm super thankful for all the comments and kudos!!

With October came the start of spooky season and a new friend, courtesy of Yeosang. Wooyoung, San, and Seonghwa were sitting in the courtyard already, a picnic blanket laden with snacks and drinks spread out under them.

“What’s taking him so long?” Wooyoung complained, reaching for a pumpkin pasty only to be swatted away by Seonghwa. “I’m hungry!”

“We’re waiting for Yeosang, you troll,” Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “He probably just woke up late.”

Sunday brunches became a tradition in fourth year, when they started picking more specialized electives and stopped sharing all the same classes. It had been practically the only way any of them saw Yeosang, who was more than content to stay holed up in the library or the Ravenclaw Tower studying. Sometimes they missed one or two, but it stayed fairly consistent, and Yeosang had promised he would be at this one.

“Oh, there he is!” San chirped. “I don’t recognize the person with him though?” He added, the three of them exchanging dubious glances as the two approached their corner.

“Yeosang, who’s this?” Seonghwa asked, peering at the newcomer. He had red hair a few shades darker than Hongjoong’s was, and the brief reminder made his mood sour just a bit.

“I met him in class a while ago,” The Ravenclaw shrugged. “He’s a Hufflepuff and he’s pretty cool.” 

“Oh  _ no, _ ” Wooyoung groaned around a mouthful of pasty. “He’s adopted another one!”

On Wooyoung’s left, San nodded sagely. Yeosang had a habit of ‘adopting’ lonely classmates, probably because they reminded him of how shy he’d once been until Wooyoung smashed his walls to bits. He was still shy, mind you, but he would protect anyone he found who was shier than himself. This was the first time he’d introduced one to their quartet though.

“I’m Choi Jongho,” the redhead waved shyly. “Nice to meet you all.” His eyes fixed on the apple Seonghwa had picked up. “Oh, I can help you with that apple!”

“Uh, sure?” Seonghwa tossed it to him, curious to see what spell he would use.

He wasn’t expecting the kid to break it in half with his  _ bare hands _ . What the f–

“Merlin’s pants!!” Wooyoung shrieked in equal parts delight and fear. “You just– with your  _ hands _ –”

“Where did you find this kid, Yeosang?” San demanded. “Damn, why aren’t you on the Hufflepuff Quidditch team? With strength like that you’d make a great Beater.”

Jongho smiled nervously. “I just made the team this year, actually. It’s the first time I tried out – I’m a seventh year too, and I figured I should try out for Quidditch at least once before I graduate.”

“Congrats!” Seonghwa cheered. “But no more talk of Quidditch – it’s all I’ve thought about for the past week,” he moaned, accepting half of the apple from Jongho. 

“That’s right,” Yeosang snickered. To Jongho, he explained: “You probably know this but Seonghwa’s got a bit of a fanclub–”

“Understatement,” Wooyoung muttered.

“–and they always go to Quidditch tryouts just to see Seonghwa in his uniform acting all commanding,” Yeosang teased. “They’ve been at it since Seonghwa became captain in fifth year.”

Seonghwa blushed, valiantly ignoring the loud guffaws from Wooyoung and San. “Most of them aren’t even in Slytherin!” He complained. “It always throws off the actual auditionees.” This year, the Slytherin team needed a new Beater  _ and  _ two Chasers, practically half the team. The auditionees this time provided meager pickings, not at all helped by his determined fanclub, but the roster had to be finalized by next Tuesday at the very latest. It left him barely any time to have callbacks, but Seonghwa would have to make do.

“I could chase them off for you,” Jongho offered immediately, flexing his admittedly impressive biceps. 

Seonghwa beamed, fist-bumping the redhead. “Yeosang, we’re keeping him.”

The brunch went smoothly from there, Jongho integrating into the friend group well despite everyone’s initial reservations. Once they all loosened up and were fed, Jongho warmed up to them and proved to be endearingly cute – even though he could break them all in half with his pinky.

“When is Dueling Club starting up again, Seonghwa? Mingi said Yunho was interested in joining,” asked Yeosang.

“Wait, you’re Head Boy, Quidditch Captain,  _ and  _ Dueling Club Captain?” Jongho stared at him in amazement. “That’s so much!”

“He’s also Professor Jung’s assistant during his free periods,” San bragged. “And he’s never gotten any grade less than an O!”

“You’re insane,” the Hufflepuff breathed. “Do you secretly have a Time Turner? A twin? How are you functioning?”

“It’s not that crazy,” Seonghwa laughed. “I just need to do my best so I can get a good position with Crescent Apothecary. It’s been my dream to work for them and develop potions since first year. I also don’t want to keep living off my family’s money: we’re pretty well off, but I’d prefer to make my own way in the world and repay my parents for their hard work.”

San pretended to swoon. “What a noble and tender heart!” He gasped dramatically. “Park Seonghwa, take me now!” The pink-haired Slytherin flung himself at Seonghwa, to the great amusement of everyone else.

Wooyoung snickered, though there was an undercurrent of jealousy as he watched Seonghwa pry San off of him. “This is why everyone likes Seonghwa,” he informed Jongho. “He’s hot, smart, and a good person. Everyone with a pulse is attracted to Seonghwa.”

“Hey, stop exaggerating!” Seonghwa felt his cheeks turning red and fanned himself. “Besides, not everyone likes me. Kim Hongjoong certainly doesn’t,” he added with a scowl.

“But he pays an awful lot of attention to you, doesn’t he?” Yeosang pondered. “Maybe he’s secretly in denial?”

Seonghwa wanted to burst out laughing, and barely kept it in. Oh, if only Yeosang knew who Hongjoong was actually attracted to.

“I bet that’s it,” Jongho piped up. “Yeosang is the smartest person in the school, he’s got to be right.”

An honest-to-Merlin  _ giggle _ escaped Yeosang, and the Slytherins stared at him in varying degrees of disbelief. “A-anyway!” The Ravenclaw cleared his throat. “We gotta, uh, go study. Jongho, library?”

“Sure,” the redhead agreed amiably, stretching his limbs out. “It was really nice meeting you all!”

They chorused their agreements, and watched the two walk off in the direction of the library. “You all saw that, right?” San whispered. “That wasn’t a fever dream?”

“Yeah, that actually happened. I think Sangie  _ likes  _ him,” Wooyoung muttered in awe.

This was… unprecedented. Yeosang had never, to their knowledge, actually been interested in anyone – well, except maybe Hermione Weasley neé Granger, but that was really more of a celebrity crush that had faded into platonic admiration. 

Real people? It was rare that Yeosang liked them. Even the kids he ‘adopted’ weren’t on the same level of closeness that the Slytherins had – and even after a decade of friendship, Yeosang still refused to study with them (though to be fair, that might have been mostly Wooyoung’s fault).

Yet here was Yeosang, willingly inviting Choi Jongho to the library with him. The  _ library.  _ “Our Sangie’s growing up,” Seonghwa sniffed, miming wiping a tear away. “Now, when will you two grow up and find someone too?” Someone had to get them going, he reasoned.

To his utter disappointment, this only led to some disgruntled muttering and pining looks when the other couldn’t see.  _ Merlin, give me patience. _

***

That night at dinner, Headmaster Eden made an important announcement. “Good evening, students! As you all know, Halloween is less than a month away. The holiday stems from one of the most sacred wizarding traditions: Samhain. On that day, the Veil between the worlds of the living and spirits is the thinnest; many wizarding cultures have their own traditions, passed down through generations and adopting new ones to fit it with the times.” He smiled benevolently at the students. “At Hogwarts, we have made our own tradition: the Halloween Gauntlet!” Loud cheers rang out from the student body, reverberating around the Great Hall so noisily even the chandeliers shook.

The Halloween Gauntlet was a tradition Headmaster Eden had brought back when he took his position at Hogwarts. It was similar to the famed Triwizard Tournament, only significantly less deadly. The Gauntlet was different every year, but always had a mix of wizard and Muggle challenges to keep things fresh. Only seventh-year students participated, and now it was finally their turn.

“This year, the Gauntlet will take the form of an obstacle-course relay. Each House will nominate five seventh-year students to compete in their name, three of which will be picked via lottery – the teams will be finalized two weeks prior to Halloween. The order will be randomly decided on Halloween night before the Gauntlet begins. As is tradition, there will be no homework due that night; we encourage each and every one of you to come out to the Quidditch Pitch and watch the Gauntlet!” Headmaster Eden spread his hands wide. “Now, enough talking. Let us feast!”

“Who do you think will be nominated?” San asked, his mouth stuffed with food. “I’ll bet my plushie that Seonghwa’s going to be one.”

“I think so too. You’ve definitely got the best chance out of all of us,” Wooyoung nodded. “I’d say Soyeon’s got a good shot too.” Soyeon was a Slytherin seventh-year just like the rest of them, quick-witted and with an impressive penchant for fire-magic. She was certainly a strong contender, and Seonghwa wouldn’t mind having her on the team.

“Yeosangie will probably be nominated for Ravenclaw,” Seonghwa deduced. “Mingi too. I think Minnie and Soojin have really good chances too.” He didn’t know the two Ravenclaw girls very well, but Minnie had been a Prefect, and in their shared classes Soojin and he typically earned the same amount of House points. 

“What about Gryffindor? Hongjoong and Yunho, probably,” San wondered. “Yuqi too, she’s really smart.”

“Oh, I know her! She’s got a good chance.” Seonghwa resolutely ignored the thought of Hongjoong being in the running – he knew it would probably happen, but why ruin his appetite by thinking about the smug prankster?

Wooyoung gulped down the last of his pumpkin juice, thanking the house elf that came to refill it. “Do you think Jongho will be nominated for Hufflepuff? He’s strong, and if he’s smart enough that Sangie wants to study with him, he’d make a good candidate.”

Even from what little he knew of the boy, Seonghwa agreed. Jongho had seemed likeable enough too, if a bit reserved. “I’m so excited; my brother competed in the Gauntlet for his seventh-year, and he said he had a blast.”

“My sister did too! I don’t think I’ll be nominated though,” San said quietly.

Wooyoung instantly pulled him into a hug. “Don’t sell yourself short, Sannie. You’re great at literally everything! Besides, you have Muggle martial arts training – I’m sure the whole House sees the value of that.” This was true: San was a halfblood, with a Muggle father and witch mother. Thankfully, his parents had been open with each other about their backgrounds, and chose to raise their children with the best of both worlds – including taekwondo, a Muggle sport that San was apparently very good in. Seonghwa wasn’t entirely sure what belts had to do with martial arts, but he knew San had a black one.

“You really think so, Woo?” San bit his lip and looked at the lilac-haired boy shyly. Seonghwa was sorely tempted to tell them to get a room, but he wasn’t sure that would even do anything at this point. He opted to continue eating instead, chewing his steak with a vengeance.

_ Yule Ball,  _ he reminded himself of him and Yeosang’s ‘last resort plan’.  _ Mistletoe.  _

Hopefully it wouldn’t come to that – but watching the two fumble around each other, Seonghwa was starting to lose faith in them.

***

“The results are out!” San screamed.

Seonghwa and Wooyoung instantly bolted from their beds to the Common Room, where a small crowd had already gathered, everyone eager to see who would be competing in the Gauntlet. 

“Congratulations!” He heard from a few, receiving a few claps on the back. Indeed, as they suspected, he was on the team. Now who else had made it…

“Woo! San!” Seonghwa grabbed their hands, linking them together. “It’s us! It’s us!”

Wooyoung squealed, a sound so high-pitched it put dolphins to shame. “No way! We gotta go tell Sangie!”

A much calmer Yeosang was accosted by the three of them at breakfast, his own eyes mirroring their excitement. “I’m on the team too!” He cheered. “It’s me, Mingi, and Minnie. Jongho made the Hufflepuff team.”

“You talked to him before you talked to us?” Wooyoung exclaimed, making Yeosang turn red.

“I- We- We had an all-nighter together!” The Ravenclaw protested.

“Romantic,” Seonghwa teased. The poor blond groaned and hid his face in his hands as Wooyoung and San cackled. Just then the bell chimed, signaling the start of first period. “Shoot, we’ll be late to class!”

Right as they left the Great Hall, Seonghwa felt something hit his side, exploding and pouring water all over him. “What–” he spluttered, suddenly dripping wet. Colorful pieces lay at his feet – was that from a water balloon?

“Heads up, Park!” Hongjoong’s voice called from above, and Seonghwa looked up just in time to see the demon launch another water balloon at him, catching him in the chest this time.

“Kim Hongjoong!” Seonghwa yelled, ready to pull his wand out and jinx the Gryffindor. Too bad they were still in full view of the professors at the Faculty Table – Hongjoong was on the landing above, and therefore out of view. “What in Merlin’s name are you doing?”

Yeosang quickly cast a drying charm – only Seonghwa had been hit, he realized. Everyone else was busy staring daggers at the prankster.

Said prankster peered down at them, and Seonghwa could’ve sworn his eyes lingered on Seonghwa’s dampened shirt. “I thought I’d get a head start on our competition,” Hongjoong smirked. “Haven’t you heard yet? I’m on the Gryffindor team for the Gauntlet. I look forward to beating your ass, Park.” He sauntered away, whistling.

“Ugh! I can’t stand him,” Seonghwa griped. “Thanks, Sangie.”

“You know, Hwa, I don’t get why you don’t just report him to the professors. Or let us jinx him, he deserves it anyway. Water balloons, in this weather?” San threw his hands up. “Who does that?”

Seonghwa just shook his head. “The only one he’s pranked besides me is Yeosang – if any of you jinx him, you’ll get in trouble instead. Besides, one of us has to set a good example as Head Boy, and clearly it’s not him. I’m not going to stoop to his level and prank him back.”

What Kim Hongjoong did wasn’t exactly  _ bullying,  _ per se _ ;  _ no, the Gryffindor had never crossed those boundaries with Seonghwa. It was still exceedingly annoying to deal with, but Seonghwa knew it wasn’t a serious issue and reporting it was pointless.

When had it started again? Probably around second year, if Seonghwa remembered correctly. Disastrous first meeting aside, they actually had barely interacted their first year. Seonghwa distinctly remembered thinking the boy’s name was ‘Honggoong’, which he’d taken great offense to. That had to have been the catalyst, and Hongjoong had never stopped since. It got worse only recently – probably because the Gryffindor was getting desperate to catch Yeosang’s attention before they graduated. Well, the joke was on him. The pranks only served to make Yeosang dislike him more.

Maybe if Jongho asked Yeosang out, Seonghwa would finally get some peace… 

***

“Great practice today, team! Remember, we’ve only got three weeks left until our first match against Ravenclaw! Go get some hot food!” Seonghwa clapped, watching the Slytherin Quidditch team file into the locker room, high-fiving each of them. They’d had a rocky start, but the team was gradually getting into shape. Their new Beater was excellent: a fifth-year who was practically all muscle and had done Muggle sports growing up. Seonghwa was surprised the Beater hadn’t tried Quidditch before now.

After putting away the practice balls, he stopped before the lockers, considering. It had been an exceptionally grueling week for the Head Boy: Dueling Club had also started and they were getting the club roster finalized, and on top of that he had homework and training for the Gauntlet.  _ I deserve a nice bath today,  _ he decided, and made his way to the hidden Prefect bathroom.

It wasn’t a luxury he took advantage of often; the Prefect bathroom was far from the Slytherin dorms, and more often than not he showered in the Quidditch locker rooms for convenience. Today there had been a brief shower of rain during practice, and it was supposed to thunder this weekend – if it did, they’d lose a valuable practice session. The Chasers specifically needed more training, and Seonghwa wanted to push himself harder too. 

He was so caught up in planning that he stripped and waded into the huge bubble bath without even noticing the figure on the far side of the bathroom until they spoke.

“Fancy seeing you here, Wonder Boy.”

Seonghwa groaned. “No, not  _ you. _ ” He couldn’t have worse timing. “Why are you here?” The Slytherin whined, pulling a thick clump of bubbles over to cover his body.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “I was here first! You were the one who barged in and just stripped.”

Seonghwa felt heat crawl up his neck in embarrassment. “It’s a communal bathroom!” He protested. “No one’s barging in anywhere!” He really was _not_ in the mood for their usual banter. Hwa busied himself with picking a shampoo, hoping that would be the end of that.

“You know, I hardly ever see you in here. What, did you have a spat with your boyfriend or something? Is your fanclub following you in the locker rooms too?”

Seonghwa was too tired to argue that Yeosang was not his boyfriend. “Please, Hongjoong, it’s been a really long week. I’d really appreciate some peace and quiet,” Seonghwa murmured, half-expecting the Gryffindor to keep pestering him.

By some miracle, Hongjoong stopped his needling. The two fell into an awkward silence, broken only by the occasional hiss of fragrant steam and gentle splashing. It was nice; he hadn’t had time to just sit and calm down like this, even if Hongjoong’s presence made it hard to fully relax. The hot bath did wonders for his tired muscles though, and soon he was lulled into a fuzzy drowsiness.

Hongjoong muttered something, but Seonghwa was too lost in his own thoughts to hear it. “Sorry, what did you say?”

“I said I’m sorry,” Hongjoong said, avoiding eye contact with Seonghwa. It was the most docile the boy had ever looked, jaw sharp and a pretty blush dusting his cheeks. His red hair was dark and slicked back, brown eyes fixed in a half-lidded smolder. A droplet of water trailed down his pale neck to pool in the small divot by his collarbone, and Seonghwa unconsciously licked his dry lips.

He fought down a blush. The room felt too hot all of a sudden, the air just a tad heavy. The steam had to be getting to him; why in Merlin’s name was he thinking these sorts of thoughts? He cleared his throat. “Yes. Um. Thank you.” Seonghwa wanted to smack himself for sounding so incoherent, but thankfully Hongjoong only nodded instead of teasing him.

Seonghwa ducked under the water quickly when Hongjoong made to leave the tub, determined not to see any more of the Gryffindor. When he resurfaced, the other was fully dressed in a light sweater and jeans. “See you later, Seonghwa.”

“See you,” he replied automatically. Then he blinked. Did Hongjoong just call him by his first name? The whole bath felt like he’d slipped into a different reality, one just a little too good to be true. And why was he still thinking about wet collarbones?

The next morning, Seonghwa was almost relieved when Hongjoong charmed his quill into a tap dance during class. This he was used to. Not niceties and wet Gryffindors who were surprisingly toned… 

***

The night of the Gauntlet finally arrived, and Seonghwa was questioning his life decisions. "Seonghwa, come out of the bathroom! Let us look at you!" Wooyoung banged on the door.

Curse him and San for being so relentless! As per tradition, the competitors for the Gauntlet had to dress up; unfortunately for Seonghwa, Wooyoung and San had somehow managed to convince him to wear this outfit. His face burned with embarrassment as he picked at his choker. He opened the door, arms crossed over himself demurely.

“Hwa, come–” San cut himself off, gaping openly at him. “Whoa, Hwa, you look  _ good _ .”

“Let me see!” Wooyoung poked his head over San’s shoulder. “Damn, your fanclub is going to go wild.”

“Isn’t this a little much?” Seonghwa asked desperately. 

“Too late for that! We look good, and we’re gonna go slay the competition!” Wooyoung raised a fist. “Woo!”

“San!”

“Hwa!”

“FIGHTING!” The trio cheered. Seonghwa had to admit they did look good: all three of them wore a red plaid and black color scheme, going for ‘punk but sexy’, as Wooyoung suggested. Woo and San had charmed their hair black for the night to fit the look more, though Wooyoung’s hair was mostly covered by his beret. San had a pretty studded choker as his statement piece, while for Seonghwa…

Well, the two demons had chosen a cropped top for him and a gold belly chain. “You’ll look super hot, Hwa!” San had said with big pleading eyes. “Pleaaaase,” he had pouted, “Let the abs be free!” No one could resist San’s pout, least of all Seonghwa.

The stands of the Quidditch Pitch were completely filled with students. Seonghwa spotted a sea of emerald green that was using fireworks to form the Slytherin crest in the dark sky. In the Gryffindor section, he saw an array of lion masks.

The pitch itself was entirely transformed. Instead of the flat grass, the ground was covered in grey stone steps. In the center of the pitch were four stone arches set upon a grand dais, each glowing a different color to match the Houses they represented.  _ Portals,  _ Seonghwa surmised. The knot of excitement in his stomach grew. The professors hadn’t told them much about the challenges that awaited them, except that it was a relay and would be challenging both intellectually and physically.

“Contestants!” Professor Moon beckoned them over to the entrance. The other teams were already there, milling about casually. “We’ll be announcing you all to the crowd soon – once you hear your name, please walk to the center of the pitch, where the arches are! Oh, and I’ll be collecting your wands now!” 

_ That’s right _ , Seonghwa remembered. Headmaster Eden had decreed that this Gauntlet would be magic-free. He grimaced as he handed over his wand, feeling a little off-balance without it, but he didn’t have time to dwell on the matter.

“Welcome, all, to the Thirteenth Annual Halloween Gauntlet!” Headmaster Eden roared with the help of a Sonorous Charm. He was answered by raucous cheers from the students, a few extra fireworks crackling in the sky. “To begin, we will introduce our contestants. Jeong Yunho, Kim Hongjoong, and Song Yuqi of Gryffindor!” 

The three Gryffindors strode out onto the transformed pitch. All three of them were dressed like pirates, in billowy shirts with eyepatches and fake swords at their sides. “KIM HONGJOONG!!” Someone squealed. Seonghwa wrinkled his nose.

It was easy to forget, but his obsessive rivalry with Seonghwa aside, Hongjoong was actually quite popular at Hogwarts. It defied all logic, really, but remained an irrefutable truth. Seonghwa could admit that Hongjoong was a good student (even if his methods were...unconventional), unique (Seonghwa cringed as he remembered the Gryffindor’s fourth-year mullet), and attractive (purely objectively); however, that wasn’t what made Hongjoong popular. 

No, what made girls and boys sigh after Kim Hongjoong was that he could get along with almost anyone. The Gryffindor was always laughing and pulling pranks even the faculty seemed to enjoy – until he was in Seonghwa’s vicinity. Then, and apparently only then, he’d become as appalling as a troll, dropping whatever ‘friendly Muggleborn’ facade he’d adopted.

Seonghwa shook his head.  _ Focus,  _ he reminded himself. 

Next came the Ravenclaw team, dressed up as Muggle comic book villains that Seonghwa wasn’t too familiar with. Yeosang had charmed his hair into long pigtails, with one side dyed blue and the other pink. Mingi’s hair was a poisonous green and slicked back, clad in a purple suit, while Minnie wore a pretty blue leather outfit that matched her lipstick and platinum blonde hair. 

The Hufflepuff team turned out to be made up of Jongho and two others that Seonghwa had seen around in class, Han Jisung and Yeh Shuhua. He knew Shuhua was good at Charms, but he didn’t know much about Jisung. Jongho was the one to watch out for, he deduced. All three of them were dressed as vampires, complete with fake blood that dripped realistically.

“Choi San, Jung Wooyoung, and Park Seonghwa of Slytherin!”

The crowd went wild as the last trio walked out, and Seonghwa waved at them, half-blinded by the bright lights. The action lifted his shirt, exposing his abs, and he heard more than one sharp whistle from the crowd. Even the other teams were staring at them – Hongjoong’s eyes seemed especially intense, and Seonghwa shivered despite the warming charms on his clothes. It was probably because their concept was so much tamer than the others.

“As announced, this Halloween Gauntlet is a relay. Team members will enter their respective portals as soon as the previous member steps back out. The final team member’s task is to find the silver trophy and make it back through the portal – whichever team emerges first will be the victor! As a reminder, no magic is allowed in this Gauntlet, and any team caught using magic will be disqualified and will cost their House fifty points each. Each member will challenge a different stage, broadcasted on these three screens–” At his words, three blank screens appeared above the dais. “Now, the first member may get ready!”

Seonghwa placed himself behind San. They agreed that Wooyoung would go first, and he himself would finish last. Looking around, Seonghwa saw that he would be competing against Yeosang, Jisung, and… of course,  _ Hongjoong.  _ The Gryffindor had the nerve to give him a cheeky salute too, looking ridiculous in his pirate outfit.

“Everyone, are you ready?” Headmaster Eden yelled. “Members, on your mark… get set… go!”

Wooyoung was first through the portal. Seonghwa couldn’t see the screens well from the ground, but it looked like a garden maze of sorts, with hedges making it difficult to see clearly. If he squinted, he could just make out the faint glow of a portal at the center of the maze.

A tense twenty minutes passed with all four wizards answering riddles from various house elves as they made their way through the maze. Wooyoung had gotten stuck on a particularly difficult one and was lagging behind; he made it out second, and San bolted.

This next stage looked like an aquatic obstacle course – half of it was in the water, with platforms that wobbled dangerously and threatened to tip over at the slightest imbalance. Wooyoung was still panting, leaning heavily on Seonghwa’s shoulder. He patted his hand. “Good job,” Hwa murmured. “You did well.”

He received a tired but brilliant smile in response. “San’s perfect for this course,” Woo commented. “He’s practically flying over the obstacles!” 

Seonghwa laughed at his starstruck expression. “Jongho’s doing well too,” he pointed out. The Hufflepuff was practically tied with San, his strength helping him close the distance – until he fell into the water, spluttering.

San hadn’t quite secured first place yet; Yunho was gaining on him quickly, and his long legs helped him slide smoothly into the portal at the same time San reached it. “Good luck Hwa!” Wooyoung cried. It was the last thing he heard before he entered the portal, and the world went dark.

Seonghwa blinked quickly, trying to get his bearings. The stage was dimly lit, and looked to be indoors – there was red paint smeared over the walls, and cobwebs everywhere. “What in Merlin’s name is this supposed to be?” He pondered aloud, advancing carefully. Come to think of it, it looked a lot like those Muggle haunted houses San used to talk about, where people paid to get scared by actors. 

The Slytherin crept forward in a half-crouch; if anything came at him, he could dodge more easily this way. There were bright arrows on the floor, but they were facing every which way and seemed to be more of a diversion than actual direction. So where could the trophy be?

And where was everyone else? 

Just then, the sound of a chainsaw sounded behind him. He whirled around to find a masked man holding a glowing chainsaw. “Yah!” The man shrieked before running at him.

“Shit!” Seonghwa took off, not caring which direction he ran to as long as it was  _ away.  _ “Shit shit shit Merlin’s frickin pants–” He swore under his breath, darting into a dark corridor.

He covered his mouth with his hands, clutching tightly so his panting wouldn’t be heard. The masked man ran straight past him and right into the wall–

–where his form melted away. “It’s not real,” Seonghwa realized. That didn’t mean other dangers weren’t though; for all he knew, it could be a mix of physical and mental scares.

Just as he stepped out of the room, he caught sight of something silver out of the corner of his eye. The trophy?

He squinted. It did look vaguely trophy-shaped, but… it felt a little too easy. He hadn’t even seen any of the other competitors, and he knew Hongjoong at least had entered the portal. Seonghwa headed for it anyway and ran into someone who stepped out of a corridor.

“Oof!” He cried, rubbing his shoulder. “Hongjoong?”  _ Welp, found him. _

The Gryffindor looked surprised for a moment before sneering. “Oh, if it isn’t Wonder Boy. I don’t suppose I could ask you to wait here while I go grab that trophy?”

Seonghwa’s mouth fell open. The audacity! “Nice try, Kim, but I’ll be getting that trophy, not you.” He moved to go around Hongjoong, but the other blocked his way.

“Sorry, Park, but that’s  _ my  _ trophy.”

“You know, while we stand here arguing, someone else could be making off with the trophy,” Seonghwa sighed.

Hongjoong considered this. “You have a point,” he conceded. “Rock paper scissors for it then?”

He was about to respond, but a loud wail sounded from somewhere behind them. “Did you hear that?”

Hongjoong’s eyes widened. “Run. Run!” He tugged Seonghwa’s hand.

The two ran towards the trophy, feet pounding against the ground. He chanced a look back and his stomach lurched – there was a dark figure floating towards them at full speed, the air turning so frigid he could spot frost creeping up the walls.

_ Dementor _ , he thought, teeth chattering as he sprinted. But… why would they put a Dementor here, with students? Could it be a Boggart? Another projection?

Seonghwa didn’t notice the step and missed it completely, tumbling to the ground with a cry. “Park!!” Hongjoong whipped around, skidding a little on the floors. His eyes widened, and Seonghwa looked up – the Dementor was right on top of them. 

Terror gripped him, but he forced his eyes to stay open. “Hongjoong, run! Get the trophy!”

He saw Hongjoong hesitate, expression flickering…

The Dementor reached out for Seonghwa with a pale hand, and he let his eyes close...

“Seonghwa!” The Dementor cried in a familiar voice, and he opened his eyes to see Bibi, the Slytherin House ghost. “Are you alright?“ Her fingers, er, ghosted over his legs, fluttering with worry.

“Seriously, Park? Even ghosts are whipped for you?” Hongjoong rolled his eyes, stepping closer now that he knew there was no danger.

“Shut up,” he retorted. “I’m alright, Bibi, thank you,” Seonghwa assured the ghost, who wrung her hands in concern. He moved his leg experimentally and winced at the sharp pain. “Ah, I think I twisted my ankle though. Too bad they took our wands, but I’m sure they didn’t think anyone would get injured.”

“I’ll carry you,” Hongjoong said abruptly. It was said so casually that Seonghwa wasn’t sure he’d actually offered it, and he gawked at the Gryffindor openly. “What?” He snapped. “I’m not going to just leave you here, Park. That would be shitty of me.”

“Are you sure? You really don’t have to–”

“Just let me carry you,” Hongjoong said, brown eyes boring into Seonghwa. “I’m not leaving you behind.”

The words sent a shiver down Seonghwa’s spine – must be the cold, he thought, and nodded at Hongjoong. “Okay.”

Despite being shorter than the Slytherin, Hongjoong was strong and firm as he maneuvered Seonghwa into a bridal carry. His hands were nice and warm, and Seonghwa found himself involuntarily relaxing into the contact. 

Hongjoong coughed awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed. “Um, you can keep chasing us now, Miss Bibi.”

“Right, yes! I’ll do that,” The ghost brightened, fixing her hair. “Here I come!”

She floated leisurely behind them, more of a comforting presence than anything now, and soon they stood before the trophy. “You can put me down now,” Seonghwa said. “Go on, take the trophy. You deserve it.”

Hongjoong stared down at him with an unreadable expression, seemingly debating something in his mind. “No,” he said with finality. “Together.”

Seonghwa wanted to protest, but the Gryffindor looked so determined he couldn’t find it in him to. “Alright then,” he agreed, mouth dry. “Together.”

They wrapped their hands awkwardly around the trophy (it took some maneuvering, since Hongjoong was still carrying Seonghwa), and stepped through the last portal.

There was a lot of commotion when they came out; Seonghwa vaguely remembered being tackled by both the Slytherin and Gryffindor teams, his ankle getting healed–

But the clearest memory was Hongjoong’s hand, wrapped around his own hand and the trophy, the Gryffindor laughing and smiling warmly at him as they were given pretty golden crowns.

In the warm light of their victory, he didn’t look like a prankster, or a menace that bothered Seonghwa on a near-daily basis.

He looked like Hongjoong, and in that moment, Seonghwa thought he was beautiful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jongho has arrived! And finally some development!
> 
> This was a way longer chapter oof, hope you liked it! Inspiration for WooSanHwa's costumes came from their 200813 Inception Stage (because I needed Hongjoong to see Seonghwa with the belly chain)
> 
> Idol cameos and mentions:  
> -Moonbyul of Mamamoo  
> -Han Jisung of Stray Kids  
> -Shuhua, Minnie, Soyeon, Yuqi, Soojin of (G)I-DLE  
> -BIBI (I fell in love with her when I watched the Hanryang MV oops)


	5. That's Amore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oof this one took me so long to write... hope you enjoy! I'll update as much as I can, but school is starting for me so I won't have as much time to write :( I can promise I won't abandon this fic though I love HP!AU Seongjoong too much :3
> 
> On to the chapter!!

There was already a cauldron bubbling in the Potions classroom when Seonghwa arrived just barely on time, still panting heavily as he dropped into the seat next to Hongjoong. “Hi,” he said, receiving a grunt in response. 

They’d won the Gauntlet together only two days ago, and already Hongjoong was back to his surly self.  _ Whatever,  _ Seonghwa thought. He wasn’t disappointed – as long as they could still be civil in class, that was fine with him.

“Alright class, this week we will be covering a very special class of potions,” Professor Jung announced, her robes flowing dramatically as she marched to the front of the classroom. “I’ve prepared a batch in this cauldron up here – can anyone identify what it is? Mr. Park!”

“It’s Amortentia, Professor, the most potent love potion ever created,” he said with certainty. The mother-of-pearl sheen could only belong to one potion.

“Excellent,” she praised. “10 points to Slytherin. The term ‘love potion’ is technically a misnomer: no potion or magic can recreate authentic love. However, Amortentia comes the closest by creating an obsession similar to infatuation. The effects are long-lasting, but can be easily dispelled with a Sobering Potion once the symptoms are recognized. While each love potion has its own unique characteristics, all love potions have no discernible effects on someone if they already return the user’s feelings. Can anyone tell me a unique characteristic of Amortentia? Mr. Kim?”

“It’s said to smell like the things you love the most,” Hongjoong answered, not without a smug side-glance at Seonghwa.

“Indeed, 10 points to Gryffindor. Would you mind describing what you smell for the class, Mr. Kim?”

“Oh,” he stammered, cocky confidence lost. “Of course.” The Gryffindor stepped up to the cauldron and inhaled deeply. 

Despite himself, Seonghwa was curious. What did Kim Hongjoong love (besides making fun of poor Slytherin Head Boys)?

“It smells like my mom’s kimchi fried rice,” the redhead said, a soft smile replacing his previous smirk. Seonghwa wasn’t sure he’d ever seen the other smile like that before – it made him look much younger, cuter–

Wait. What?

Kim Hongjoong wasn’t  _ cute,  _ he was capricious and flippant and far too persistent in his apparent quest to drive Seonghwa over the edge. His tiny body wasn’t capable of  _ cuteness. _

“I smell something like baby powder,” Hongjoong continued, thankfully unaware of Seonghwa’s internal panic. “Woodsmoke, hot coffee, and...” his brow furrowed. “Something really faint, kind of like rain or herbs? And grass, I think.”

“Thank you, Mr. Kim. Take another 5 points!” Professor Jung clapped her hands, snapping Hongjoong out of his reverie. “Your homework for this potion will be the successful brewing of Amortentia during this class, along with 12 inches of parchment on the various beneficial and harmful uses of love potions. And if I catch anyone sneaking their potion out,” she warned, “you just might face expulsion. Love potions are tricky, and outside of class you could face a year in Azkaban for misuse of Amortentia.”

“I’ll stir if you prep?” Hongjoong murmured, suddenly so close to Seonghwa that the Slytherin could smell him.  _ He smells warm,  _ Seonghwa realized. He merely nodded, averting his eyes from the redhead in an attempt to compose himself. Why was he thinking about how the Gryffindor smelled?

Though it was a rather pleasant scent, spicy and sweet… if only he could put his finger on what it was, the smell familiar but just barely evading him. If he happened to think about it for the rest of the day, well… Seonghwa just liked  _ knowing _ things. It didn’t mean anything deeper.

“Hey,” San bumped his shoulder lightly into Seonghwa as they headed to their next class. “Have you thought about Woo’s birthday present yet?”

“Oh shoot,” he sighed. “Thanks for reminding me – I haven’t even started thinking about it yet.” Wooyoung’s birthday was at the end of November, but Quidditch season was starting and Seonghwa knew he wouldn’t have time to plan a gift then.

San laughed. “That’s alright, we can find something at Hogsmeade next weekend. I can get Yeosang to distract him, if he’s not already going with Jongho.”

“Who do you think will ask first?” Seonghwa asked. “I’d put my bet on Jongho, but Sangie can be scary when he wants something.”

“I know what you’re thinking about – you’re comparing Jongho to that piece of fried chicken last night, aren’t you?”

“How was I supposed to know it was the last piece?” Seonghwa cried. “I didn’t think Yeosang would hex me for it. All I’m saying is he’s determined when he sees something he likes, and I don’t think he’s actually liked a  _ person _ before.”

San snorted. “That’s true. Sometimes I’m not even sure he likes Woo, and they’ve been friends since forever.”

“So,” he tried (and failed, if San’s expression was anything to go by) to say casually, “Speaking of Wooyoung, when are you asking him out?” He gasped in faux surprise. “Are you planning on being his birthday present?”

“I’ve no idea what you mean,” San said breezily, but his bright red ears betrayed him. “Oh, was that the bell? See you later, Hwa!”

***

Saturday soon came, and the five of them headed to Hogsmeade in a carriage meant for four. Seonghwa had volunteered to take a different one, realizing belatedly that he was basically fifth-wheeling, but they wouldn’t hear of it. Instead, Yeosang and Jongho sat on one side of the carriage while the three Slytherins sat on the other, with San mostly on Wooyoung’s lap because, Wooyoung claimed, San was the lightest. It didn’t explain why Woo’s arm was wrapped possessively around San’s waist, but that wasn’t any of Seonghwa’s business.

As planned, Yeosang immediately dragged Wooyoung into Honeydukes, yammering excitedly about yet another new chocolate. Jongho trailed behind them, giving San and Seonghwa a discreet thumbs up and a wink.

“Thank Merlin for Yeosang,” San grinned. “Now, what were you thinking of getting him? I already ordered my present, it’ll be owled to me in a week.”

“Mmm, I was thinking of getting him a body spray or perfume. He mentioned wanting to try something new, but I don’t know if any stores here sell that kind of stuff,” Seonghwa frowned.

“Wait, Hwa, there’s a new store over there! Looks like they sell fragrance oils and sprays,” San pointed. 

“That’s… awfully convenient,” Seonghwa said warily.

“It’s fate!” San exclaimed, dragging Seonghwa over to look at the selection.

The storefront was deep purple with gold lettering that read  _ Madame Pearl’s Scents For All Occasions.  _ There was a pretty display of perfume bottles inside the shop, with a dazzling array of oils and sprays that glittered in the autumn sun.

He had to admit, the bottles were beautiful and intricate, but they were all scents he’d never even heard of – what in Merlin’s name was  _ oud _ supposed to be? Or chypre? He couldn’t even guess how to pronounce that. San seemed equally lost, blinking owlishly at the bright bottles.

“Oh, welcome to my store!” A kind-looking woman stepped out from behind the counter.  _ Madame Pearl _ , he surmised. “Let me know if you need any help!”

“Actually, I’m looking for a perfume or spray as a gift for a friend’s birthday. I don’t know a lot about scents, and I don’t recognize any of these names,” Seonghwa said.

Madame Pearl smiled in understanding. “Don’t fret, dear! We’ll find the perfect gift in a jiffy. Tell me about your friend; what kind of smells does he normally like?” At his helpless stare, she prompted, “Why don’t you tell me what your friend is like then? Personality-wise? I’m an expert at matching fragrances to people.”

“Well, he’s pretty loud and outgoing. Very flirty, but extremely loyal as a friend. Mischievous, but reliable, with a heart of gold,” Seonghwa told her. He glanced at San, who was peering at a few bottles at the front of the shop. “Pretty oblivious, too – he doesn’t always see when someone likes him.”

“Ah,” she said knowingly. “Needs a little nudge, does he? I have just the thing!” She disappeared into the back for a moment, emerging with a delicate crystal bottle.

It was gorgeous – the bottle had thin gold filigree covering the slim neck, and the glass curved pleasingly into a wider bottom. A yellow gem was set into the top of the bottle, and gold chains dangled over the glass. The perfume itself was a stunning pale gold, reminding Seonghwa of  _ Felix Felicis _ . It looked perfect for Wooyoung.

“This here is one of my newest perfumes, Amore – you said it’s for a birthday, right? I assume it’s a November birthday. This bottle just so happens to have a citrine set into the cap, November’s birthstone.” She went on to explain that the fragrance itself was not too strong, a subtly sweet floral scent that, in her words, “will be sure to attract the  _ right _ kind of attention for him. Just remember to tell him, a little goes a long way!”

Seonghwa agreed to purchase it almost immediately, liking the smell and the bottle, and it was packaged carefully into a golden box. He couldn’t wait to see the look on Wooyoung’s face when he opened it up! San joined him at the counter with a perfume of his own, a deep purple bottle that smelled of spice and wood. He nodded approvingly at the bottle Seonghwa bought, offering him a happy fist bump. Mission accomplished!

Before they left the shop, the shopkeeper stopped Seonghwa. “Here – since you didn’t find anything for yourself, why don’t you take a sample of Amore?” She handed him a generous vial of the perfume, waving away his polite refusals. “Please, I insist; you never know, perhaps it will bring you some good fortune.” He gave in, tucking the golden vial into his jacket pocket and thanking the woman profusely.

***

Once Wooyoung’s gift was safely hidden away in his dorm, Seonghwa took the vial of perfume out and stared at it. It stared back, utterly inanimate. It wasn't that he was  _ afraid _ of it exactly - but Seonghwa had never really used fragrances, relying mostly on his shampoo. The grassy Quidditch pitch and herbs from potion making usually overwhelmed it anyway. Fragrance from a bottle was entirely new to him, but he figured he should at least try it out. After all, it had been a nice gesture from the shopkeeper, and what was the worst that could happen? 

Seonghwa uncapped the perfume, enjoying the light floral scent, and was just about to dab a little on his wrists when Keonhee bumped into him from behind. “Shoot, sorry Seonghwa! I didn't see you there,” he quickly apologized, but the damage was done – nearly a quarter of the perfume had spilled onto Seonghwa's shirt, and he bit back a groan of frustration. It wasn't really the clumsy Slytherin's fault, after all. He opened his mouth to ask if the other had a spare tissue when he was interrupted.

“Whoa,” Keonhee said, “That smells really good! Where did you get it?”

“Oh, the new store at Hogsmeade,” he rattled off the name.

Keonhee smiled, but it looked a little... different. Perhaps a little coy? “You know, Seonghwa, you're really beautiful,” Keonhee murmured. “Like, so beautiful. I can’t believe I never told you that before.”

Seonghwa reeled back in shock. Seven years of living together, and he had never seen Keonhee like this. The unexpected compliment threw him off-guard, and he didn’t know what to do. This wasn’t some member of his ‘fanclub’; this was Keonhee, his  _ Housemate.  _ Who he had to see on a daily basis. “Uh,” he stuttered, “I should… go…”

Keonhee brightened. “Oh, where are you going? I can walk you!”

“Ah, that’s not really necessary,” Seonghwa hastily said. “I’m just meeting Yeosang. For, uh, studying.” Keonhee hated studying – surely this would deter him.

Not so. Instead Keonhee pouted in a manner he probably thought was cute and seductive. “You’re always with Yeosang,” he complained, reaching a hand out to tug at Seonghwa’s sleeve. “You can study with me instead! I promise, I’ll be nice and quiet. I just want to look at you all day,” he sighed dramatically, and Seonghwa shuddered.

It took a lot more convincing (and half-hearted promises to have ‘alone time’ later), but Seonghwa finally extricated himself from the other Slytherin’s clutches. Thankfully the Common Room was empty, or he’d have to explain why he looked so flustered. At that moment, San stepped through the door.

“San!” Seonghwa called, hurrying over to his friend. “Thank Merlin it’s you, listen – remember that perfume we bought for Woo, Madame Pearl gave me a sample–”

“Oh, is that why you smell so good?” San interrupted, gaze flickering from Seonghwa’s eyes to… was he staring at his  _ lips _ ? “Good enough to eat,” the other murmured, leaning forward slightly.

_ Oh hell no.  _ “San, what are you doing?” Seonghwa screeched, holding the other at arm’s length. “This isn’t funny! Listen to me, something really weird happened with Keonhee–”

“Why were you with Keonhee?” San frowned. “If he’s acting weird, just stick with me. I know taekwondo, I’ll protect you!” He linked his arm with Seonghwa’s, pulling him close.

Seonghwa  _ really  _ did not need this. “San, stop it, quit playing around! This is serious!”

“Who said I’m playing?” San’s voice dropped lower, his eyes piercing Seonghwa with heated intent. “I want to protect you, Seonghwa. Keep you safe and close. Is that so hard to believe?”

“San, I  _ know _ you have the fattest crush on Woo. Why are you acting like this? He’s going to get the wrong impression!” Seonghwa hissed, squirming in his friend’s grip.

“But I don’t care about Woo,” San insisted. “You’re the only one I have eyes for, Seonghwa.”

It finally clicked. Something wasn’t wrong with Keonhee or San – something was wrong with  _ him.  _ The shopkeeper’s words came to him suddenly.

_ It will attract the  _ right _ kind of attention... just remember…  _ a little _ goes a long way. _

“Merlin’s pants,” Seonghwa groaned.

After struggling futilely to remove himself from San’s side, Seonghwa resigned himself to eating lunch practically glued to his friend – he had Transfiguration later anyway, where he could lose San and figure out what exactly the perfume was made of.

Right as they entered the Great Hall, however, Wooyoung and Yeosang spotted them. “Hey!” Wooyoung waved, but his smile soon faltered. 

_ Oh no,  _ Seonghwa internally panicked. All of their hard work in trying to get Woo and San together, destroyed because of a magical perfume. “Woo, I can explain–”

“San, why are you hogging Seonghwa all to yourself?” Wooyoung demanded. Seonghwa blinked before realizing.

“Please, not you too,” he begged, turning to Yeosang.  _ You’re my last hope,  _ he thought, praying that the Ravenclaw would be unaffected. 

Whoever was out there apparently didn’t hear him. “You look exceptional today,” Yeosang murmured, reaching out a hand to fiddle with the clasp of Seonghwa’s robes. “Did you do something different with your hair?”

As soon as they stepped into the Great Hall, all heads turned to Seonghwa. “Nope, not doing that,” he muttered, and tore himself out of San’s death grip.

“Hwa!” San cried, scandalized as Seonghwa bolted as fast as he could. He didn’t even know where he was going, just that he needed to be as far away from people as possible. Maybe once he was somewhere secluded, he could send a Patronus to Professor Jung or Headmaster Eden about his predicament. Where could he go… 

He could’ve smacked himself. Of course! The Room of Requirement would be best. No one could get in while he was there if he didn’t want them to, and he could have food and drink while he waited for the professors to respond. He decided to make his way to the fifth floor carefully, keeping an ear out for any pursuers. 

Seonghwa was so caught up in listening that he ran smack into someone’s chest, their hands steadying immediately. “Oh, thanks–” He said, mentally preparing himself for another bout of sprinting. He looked down and noticed the cherry red hair. “ _ Kim Hongjoong, _ ” he groaned.

Instead of acting lovesick, however, said Gryffindor only wrinkled his nose and backed away from Seonghwa. “That's a nice perfume, Park, but don't you think you sprayed a little too much? Talk about overkill.”

Seonghwa had been ready to bolt past the other, vehemently unwilling to hear Hongjoong compliment him when his brain caught up to his ears. He turned and grabbed Hongjoong by the shoulders. “Wait, you just insulted me,” he realized. “You're not attracted to me?”

Hongjoong flushed beet red, squirming under his hold. “What... what do you mean? Of course not!” He stammered. “Why would I be attracted to you?”

“Oh thank Merlin!” Quickly, Seonghwa explained the situation, starting with Keonhee’s weird behavior. “I think it kicks in as soon as they smell it,” Seonghwa said, gesturing at his shirt. “I didn’t have time to change, and the scent is all over my skin by now. It was meant to be a mild attraction potion I think, but with the heavy concentration it works more like a love potion.”

Hongjoong actually had the nerve to laugh at him, doubling over and practically crying in mirth. “Only you, Park, only you,” he chortled.

“Ha ha, yes very funny,” he rolled his eyes. A thought occurred to him. “Why doesn't it work on you though? You must hate me so much the perfume doesn't affect you,” Seonghwa mused, only half-joking.

The Gryffindor was quiet for a bit. “I don't,” he said.

“Don’t what?”

“Hate you.” Hongjoong fiddled with his wand. “I don’t hate you.” 

Seonghwa opened and closed his mouth. “What do you–”

“Hwa!” Came a loud squeal, and Seonghwa whirled around. One girl from his fanclub had spotted him, and her yells were attracting attention.

“ _ Silencio! _ ” Hongjoong whispered, but the mob was already gathering. “Come on, Park, move it!” He grabbed the Slytherin’s hand and they ran down the hall, feet pounding against the marble.

“Wait! We need to get to the Room of Requirement, that’ll hold them off until I can get to a professor!” Seonghwa tugged Hongjoong towards the stairs.

Hongjoong visibly balked at that. “Are you crazy? That’s three floors up! You’re never going to make it. Here, I know a hiding spot on this floor.”

Seonghwa wanted to protest, but Hongjoong’s eyes widened as he looked behind them. “Damn, how are they so fast?” He muttered. “We need to keep going!”

They kept running, but soon skidded to a halt when they heard footsteps coming from in front of them. Seonghwa’s gaze landed on the broom closet; thinking fast, Seonghwa tugged open the broom closet and squeezed inside, muttering a quick “in here!” to his unwitting companion. Hongjoong swore softly but complied. 

It was one of the larger broom closets, but still barely able to fit both of them. They jostled each other while trying to find a comfortable configuration, and Seonghwa ended up at the back of the closet with Hongjoong’s back pressed against him, the Gryffindor peeking cautiously through the slit of the door.

“Are they gone yet?” Seonghwa whispered, but Hongjoong only shushed him in response, wholly focused on the students lurking outside. 

He still smelled nice, slightly sweet and faintly spicy, Seonghwa realized with a blush. Thank Merlin Hongjoong had his back to him, or he’d surely tease Seonghwa mercilessly. Still, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking that the Gryffindor fit nicely against him, their height differences quite comfortable this way… 

He wanted to smack himself. Was he really so lonely that he thought  _ Hongjoong,  _ of all people, was comfortable? Seonghwa needed to get a life. Perhaps Jongho had a Hufflepuff friend who would be interested in Seonghwa.

“Looks like they’re gone for now – let’s go to my hiding spot for now, then we can gather our wits and make a break for the Headmaster’s Office? He can get this sorted in no time,” Hongjoong whispered a few minutes later, half-turning to face Seonghwa. He nodded, and they slipped out of the broom closet carefully, closing the door behind them as quietly as they could. 

True to his word, the hiding spot wasn’t too far from where they were – five minutes later, Hongjoong walked up to a brick wall and tapped it with his wand twice. “It’s just through here,” he explained. To Seonghwa’s astonishment, the wall slid open to reveal a little room, just large enough for perhaps four people to sit comfortably. There was a miniature fountain by the side of the room gurgling gently, and soft light emanated from the bricks to create an almost homey atmosphere. Two plush armchairs were set across from each other, and there was a wooden chest between them that served as a makeshift table.

“What is this place?” Seonghwa breathed, taking it in as the wall slid back into place behind him.

Hongjoong coughed awkwardly. “Ah, it’s my hiding spot.” At Seonghwa’s questioning glance, he sighed. “Let’s sit and have some tea? I’m parched.”

The chairs were just as comfy as they looked, to Seonghwa’s utter delight. The chest turned out to be full of teabags with a simple preservation charm on them, and they heated up the fountain’s water easily. 

“I built this place,” Hongjoong said quietly. “Well, not exactly built – the spot was already here, but it was dusty and empty. I think it might’ve been some kind of storage area that people just forgot about. I found it when I was really homesick one time, and I’d come here every time I needed space away from other people.” He gestured at the space around them. “Eventually I figured I should clean it up a bit, so I added these chairs and the fountain. I charmed it all by myself,” he said proudly. “Don’t get me wrong, I love my Housemates, but… the first few years were rough for me.”

Hongjoong elaborated. “I first showed signs of having magic when I was five. I’m Muggleborn, so my parents didn’t know what to do, so they sent me off to live with my aunt for awhile. She was adopted, and turned out to be a witch,” he explained. “She taught me some basics of magical theory, since we couldn’t practice actual magic, but the most important thing she taught me was about magical society.” 

Oh, Seonghwa could see where this was going. He tamped down the urge to interject, sipping his chamomile tea instead.

“See, my aunt was pretty much considered a Muggleborn at Hogwarts. She never knew her birth parents, so there wasn’t much of a lineage to trace. And she went to Hogwarts while Voldemort was getting stronger and Muggleborns were considered dirty.” Hongjoong swallowed, looking visibly upset. “She told me about a lot of the things they did to her at Hogwarts. She was bullied a lot by the Slytherins, the ones who believed in Voldemort, and it got… well, it got deadly by her sixth year, when Death Eaters took over the school. She still has scars on her back from it.”

Seonghwa wordlessly topped up Hongjoong’s black tea, the latter nodding at him in gratitude. “I know the Wizarding world has changed a lot since then,” Hongjoong continued, “but my aunt left that world and didn’t look back once after she graduated. She has a Muggle job now, and until my parents sent me to her she didn’t even think about using magic again, that’s how terrible it was for her. She made me promise to not let anyone treat me the way she was, and she drilled it into my brain that I needed to prove to everyone that I wasn’t any less than they were, that I deserved to be there. When I saw you on that train the first day, I was really nervous. I didn’t mean to snap at you, but then you said something that made me think she was right, Muggleborns like me would never truly be accepted. I got angry, and defended myself. It happened with others too, people who said things that I took the wrong way. So I’d come here instead, trying to hide away and make my own little spot in this magical world.” He fell silent then, staring into his tea as if it held fathomless answers.

Seonghwa digested all this, turning his memories around and trying to view it from Hongjoong’s perspective. “I’m truly sorry for what your aunt went through,” he started, reaching a hand out to gently squeeze Hongjoong’s. The Gryffindor looked taken aback at the contact but didn’t retract his hand or tell Seonghwa to shove off, so he took it as a positive sign. “No wizard should ever have to go through that. And I apologize if what I said on the train that day made you feel that you weren’t worthy of being at Hogwarts. But I don’t understand… I get that you probably disliked me because of that incident, but why keep hating me? I hope I’ve proven that I don’t harbor those sorts of feelings towards Muggleborns or half-bloods; if you ever see me exhibit that behavior, you have my permission to hex me with the most painful boils,” Seonghwa winced at the thought, only half-joking, and Hongjoong cracked a small smile at that.

“Don’t worry, Park, if you gave me that impression I would’ve done way worse than  _ boils, _ ” Hongjoong smirked. He sighed, putting his tea down. “I guess it’s because… I saw you from far away, and your life just seemed so horribly perfect. You were popular and smart, and nobody had a bad thing to say about you. It’s like you came to Hogwarts and there was already a place set aside for you to fit into, while I had to try so hard to make friends and carve that same spot out for myself. I’m sure you can’t relate to that,” Hongjoong said with a touch of bitterness. “After all, you’re a pureblood – you had a circle of friends the moment you came in, and your parents probably taught you all about magic and Hogwarts even before you got your letter. It’s a little… petty, perhaps, but I envied you quite a lot.”

“I can relate more than you think,” Seonghwa replied quietly. The Gryffindor looked at him in shock and confusion. “My mother’s family is traditionally Slytherin, but they’ve typically chosen to remain neutral. She was a Slytherin when Voldemort was in power, and because of her blood status she was pressured a lot into the more… unsavory activities. When she refused, they didn’t take it well. Her family went into hiding, and she did what she could to survive at school after being branded a blood traitor. She doesn’t talk about it much, but…” Seonghwa sighed. “I know she was worried about me when I was Sorted into Slytherin. But not all Slytherins were like that before, and even fewer are like that now. Wooyoung and Yeosang’s family have similar stories. A lot of old pureblood families looked down on us because of our values, so our families decided to stick together instead, and the three of us became super close.“ He sipped at his tea, gathering his thoughts before continuing.

“The problem though is because our families are Slytherin, there’s still a lot of suspicion cast on us by association. Aurors had monthly surprise inspections at our house ‘just because’ for the first few years after the war, even though none of our family had been involved with the Dark Arts or Voldemort. I remember getting a lot of nasty glares when we would shop at Diagon Alley, and sometimes people openly cursed at us. I can understand their hatred, but it was hard to bear, especially when our families didn’t deserve it. I know our struggles are different, but it hasn’t necessarily been easy for us either,” he finished, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Sorry, that was a lot. What I’m saying is, maybe we aren’t as different as we once thought.”

Hongjoong seemed to ponder this, nodding thoughtfully. “Thank you for sharing,” he said sincerely. “I appreciate you trusting me with this.”

Seonghwa realized with a start that he did, in fact, trust Hongjoong. Well, perhaps the other wasn't as bad as he once thought. "Thank you for trusting me too," he replied, the words carrying an unfamiliar weight to them as he looked into Hongjoong’s eyes. They felt raw, a little too close to his heart, a little too  _ right _ . 

This was the most they’d ever spoken to each other without insults, and the difference between the Hongjoong who would prank him and the Hongjoong sitting before him now, open and vulnerable, was jarring. Almost like a veil had slipped off the Gryffindor, forming something more substantial than a blurry outline, something bursting with color and had edges that caught the light prettily. "Does this mean you’ll stop throwing water balloons at me?" Seonghwa joked, hoping to lighten the mood.

It worked; Hongjoong let out a startled laugh, dropping his intense stare as his eyes crinkled. “No promises,” he chuckled. “Though I hope you know I don’t prank you maliciously. I may not show it, Park, but… I actually respect you quite a lot.”

“But not enough to stop the pranks?” Seonghwa teased.

“You’re the only one I prank,” Hongjoong said seriously.

His mouth felt too dry all of a sudden, trapped under Hongjoong’s scrutiny. “How lucky for me,” he meant to say sarcastically, but the bite of it caught in his throat and it came out sounding like truth instead.

Hongjoong snorted, almost bitterly. “I’m sure attention from little old me doesn’t matter very much to you; you’ve got a whole fanclub to make you feel special.”

“To be honest with you, I don’t… like having a ‘fanclub’.” Seonghwa wrinkled his nose a little. “I’m sure they’re perfectly nice people – aside from the odd obsession with me,” he added as Hongjoong snorted with derision. “But the people who call themselves my ‘fanclub’... all they see is a pretty face and smarts. They don’t see the real me, so what’s the point of all the so-called popularity I enjoy anyway? I really only have a few close friends here, and I’m perfectly happy with that.” Seonghwa bit his lip, thinking he’d probably rambled on for too long. Hongjoong must be bored with him.

“You’re not just a pretty face,” Hongjoong said instead. Seonghwa tilted his head in confusion. “That’s not what I see, anyway.” The Gryffindor looked away, a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. “You’ve challenged me from the moment we bumped into each other, and you’re been challenging me every step of our journey through Hogwarts. On the Quidditch Pitch or in class, you’re my biggest rival, and that doesn’t just come from your natural talent – you work so damn hard, Seonghwa, I’ve seen you studying until late in the library. I mean, Merlin’s sake, you’ve practically been Professor Jung’s assistant since second-year. You’re kind and patient and you’ve only truly lost your temper with me when I accidentally jinxed Kang Yeosang. Above everything, you’re loyal and protective, and I genuinely admire that about you.”

“Oh,” was all Seonghwa could think to say. He hadn’t realized that Hongjoong had noticed so much about him.

“Meanwhile, I’m… well, I won’t sell myself short; I know I work hard too, but keeping up with you is just about the hardest thing I’ve ever done. On every other level though, I’m not very special. I’m just a hot-headed Gryffindor with a reputation for mischief,” he smiled wryly.

“No.” The word was out before Seonghwa realized it, but it was true, so he plowed forward anyway. “That’s not at all true, Hongjoong; you’re unique and brilliant in your own way! Don’t think I haven’t seen all the reformed clothes you make. Granted, I’d prefer it if you didn’t reform the school  _ uniform _ , but it’s still beautiful work. I’ve never seen a style like yours anywhere in the wizarding community, and I’m glad you’re going into fashion and bringing a fresh perspective.” The thoughts spilled out easily, like they had always been there, ready and willing to be said.

It was worth it to see Hongjoong turn red, as red as his hair, a pleased smile playing on his lips. “You really think so?”

“I do,” Seonghwa reaffirmed. “Honestly.”

His next words were so quiet, Seonghwa almost missed them. “Thank you.”

The Slytherin smiled. “Thank you too.”

They lapsed into silence, not quite uncomfortable but definitely thicker than before, a sort of anticipation lingering in the air between them. Hongjoong broke it first.

“So,” Hongjoong said abruptly, “what did you smell? When we did the Amortentia lesson?”

Seonghwa furrowed his brow in confusion. “What? Why are you asking?”

The Gryffindor huffed, crossing his arms with a slight pout. “Just curious,” he muttered. “You heard mine, after all; I just wondered what you smelled.”

It couldn’t hurt to tell him, Seonghwa reasoned. Besides, what use was that information anyway? “I smelled the Quidditch Pitch,” he admitted. “The Potions classroom, tteokbokki, butterbeer... ” He blushed as he realized that the last scent smelled a bit like the Gryffindor. “Something spicy and sweet,” he said finally, deciding to keep it vague. “Kind of homey and comforting, but I can’t for the life of me remember what it was called.”

Hongjoong let out a noncommittal hum. “Was it like cinnamon?”

Seonghwa gasped. “Cinnamon! Yes! Only it wasn’t  _ just  _ cinnamon, there was something else to it… I know I’ve smelled it somewhere else recently, but I can’t remember where.”

Hongjoong opened his mouth, but seemed to think better of what he was going to say. “Well, I hope you remember it soon. Anyway, I think it’s safe to make a break for the Headmaster’s Office now – I can’t hear any movement outside.”

“Oh! Right, of course,” Seonghwa wanted to smack himself. He’d gotten so caught up in talking to Hongjoong that he almost forgot about why they were hiding in the first place. “Let’s do that.”

Nodding, the Gryffindor pulled out his wand and Vanished the rest of his tea, doing the same to Seonghwa’s. They stood before the wall, but Seonghwa hesitated.

“Hongjoong,” Seonghwa said, stopping the other from opening the hidden entrance. “When we go back out there… are we going to go back to what we were? Trading insults and being rivals?”

Hongjoong regarded him with an unreadable expression in his eyes. “I don’t think we’ll ever stop being rivals, Park,” he said finally, and Seonghwa felt his stomach plummet to the ground. “But...” and there was a smile on Hongjoong’s face, he was  _ teasing  _ him, the brat– “Maybe we can be friendly rivals?”

Seonghwa released a breath he hadn’t even known he was holding. “I’d like that,” he said honestly, holding a hand out to Hongjoong. “To a fresh start then – nice to meet you, my name is Park Seonghwa, Slytherin.”

Hongjoong’s eyes sparkled. “Kim Hongjoong, pleasure to meet you.” With that, they shook hands. Seonghwa felt a little ridiculous at the drama of it all, like a bad cliché, but Hongjoong was just as serious about it, and his hands were so warm…

***

Eventually, they made it to the Headmaster’s office, with a Patronus sent ahead to warn Headmaster Eden of the incident. The remaining perfume was tested and deemed safe to use (“In  _ small _ quantities!” Professor Jung warned), and soon the castle was back to normal, though it took a few hours for San, Wooyoung, and Yeosang to look him properly in the eyes again. 

“So you and Hongjoong don’t have that weird love-hate thing going on anymore?” Yeosang asked as he shoveled rice into his mouth that night. 

Seonghwa grimaced, wiping away stray bits of rice that had mysteriously gotten stuck to Yeosang’s cheeks. “We don’t,” he said carefully. “We’re still rivals, just… friendlier.”

But they weren’t quite friends either… so what were they?

Well, whatever they were, Seonghwa was determined not to waste time thinking about it. After all, he had to get better grades than Kim Hongjoong, and that would only happen with more rigorous studying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> seonghwa: pshh i don't like hongjoong  
> also seonghwa: cute, pretty, unique, brilliant–
> 
> If you haven't yet, please go vote for Ateez on Seoul Music Awards app! We're in the running for a prestigious award, you can get votes by watching ads! If you need any help feel free to DM me on Twitter :3
> 
> Thank you for reading, and comments are my lifeblood and motivation so please consider leaving one if you liked this chapter!!
> 
> ft. Keonhee of ONEUS!


	6. An Abundance of Misunderstandings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, here's chapter 6! Enjoy <33

True to Hongjoong’s word, while he didn’t stop pranking Seonghwa, the atmosphere between them began to feel less hostile and more fun, almost like an inside joke between friends. Instead of the dreaded water balloons, Seonghwa would find himself showered with rose petals whenever he said Hongjoong’s name; or, most memorably, a sandwich mysteriously appeared in his pocket any time he said he was hungry. 

Wooyoung, San, and Yeosang (and of course, Jongho; the two were practically joined at the hip now, though nothing was official) had witnessed all this with varying degrees of bemusement. “Hwa, that’s not pranking, that’s  _ flirting, _ ” Wooyoung insisted, the others all nodding furiously as they munched on the surplus sandwiches (the sandwiches were tasty; the group just didn’t know where exactly they were coming from). Seonghwa didn’t trust him though – Wooyoung wouldn’t know flirting even if someone smacked him in the face with it, especially if that person was a frustrated Slytherin called Choi San.

“He’s just being friendly,” Seonghwa laughed, stretching his legs out onto the grass covering the courtyard. “It’s quite refreshing, honestly, though I don’t know how he knew I liked ham and cheese sandwiches with extra ham.”

“Because you always stuff two of them into your pockets after lunch, it’s obvious,” someone said above him. Seonghwa tilted his head back to see Hongjoong, smile already spreading across his face.

That was another refreshing change: before, Hongjoong would prank him and run away, tossing a few snide comments at him, but now he stuck around and actually chatted with the Slytherin and his friends. Maybe it was from relief that he no longer had to watch out for targeted jinxes, or the fact that Hongjoong was also single like him (what could he say? Seonghwa had had enough of almost-couples dancing around each other) – but Seonghwa couldn’t stop smiling like an idiot around the redheaded Gryffindor. Hongjoong just had an infectious smile, and Seonghwa could appreciate it now that it wasn’t followed by snark.

“I get hungry! That’s what happens when you use your brains,” Seonghwa said with a grin. “Maybe if you ate more, you’d be taller – stop skipping meals!” He fished out the sandwich that had appeared in his pocket and tossed it at Hongjoong, who caught it with a look of surprise.

“I don’t skip meals!” He protested hotly. “...anymore,” Hongjoong muttered at Seonghwa’s unimpressed glare. He perched on the ledge behind Seonghwa and bit into the sandwich reluctantly.

The rest of the group was watching them with thinly veiled fascination (from San and Jongho) and suspicion (from Wooyoung and Yeosang). Wooyoung narrowed his eyes at Hongjoong – that was never a good sign. Seonghwa glared at Wooyoung, but that did little to deter the lavender-haired Slytherin. “So, Hongjoong,” he started, a sinister gleam in his eyes, “are you taking anyone to the Yule Ball?”

The Yule Ball was in two weeks, falling right after Wooyoung’s birthday; the castle was all abuzz with excitement and giggled confessions, many of which Seonghwa and Yeosang had been the subject of. Yunho and Mingi were the only confirmed couple of their friend group going together; so far, Yeosang and Jongho had failed to make moves towards each other, and Wooyoung and San were…

Seonghwa didn’t really know what was going on there anymore, to be honest. In the past week, the two had been spending far more time alone together than usual – which was impressive, considering how inseparable they already were. And yet, Seonghwa knew for a fact neither of them had managed to confess.

He could only take so much of them whining to him about their struggles, especially since any attempt to convince them of the other’s feelings ended with strong denial and (very rarely) tears.

Hongjoong seemed confused by Wooyoung’s sudden question. “Ah, I have someone in mind to ask, but I’m not sure how to yet, or if he’s even available.” Seonghwa watched his eyes stray towards Yeosang. That was right, Hongjoong liked Yeosang. He wondered how he could break the news to the Gryffindor gently, filing away the task for later.

“What about you, Woo?” Seonghwa challenged as Wooyoung opened his mouth, delighting in Wooyoung’s panicked expression. “Are you thinking of taking anyone?”

“Yeah, Woo, who do you have in mind? Changbin from Gryffindor? Or that Ravenclaw Yeonjun?” Yeosang chimed in, catching onto Seonghwa’s plan quickly.

“N-no!” Wooyoung protested loudly, catching San’s confused yet hopeful gaze. “I…” he faltered, gulping as San watched him.

_ Say it,  _ Seonghwa crossed his fingers behind his back.  _ Just say it, ask him out… _

“I want to go–”

_ Almost… _

_ “ _ – _ To the bathroom!”  _ Wooyoung leapt up and bolted, leaving the group shell-shocked.

Yeosang groaned loudly, falling onto Jongho’s sturdy thighs. “He’s an  _ idiot. _ I’m going to hex him so hard later.”

“Sorry, what just happened?” Hongjoong asked, his eyes darting between San and the empty space Wooyoung left behind.

“Wooyoung likes San but has no clue how to ask him out, and San likes Woo but has no clue how to ask him out either,” Seonghwa said bluntly, ignoring San’s cry of protest. “Come on, San, he  _ likes  _ you. A lot. You need to tell him how you feel!”

“What if he doesn’t? He’s always like that around me,” San wailed, dropping his pink head onto Yeosang’s legs. 

“He’s always like that because he’s always liked you,” Seonghwa said patiently. 

Jongho patted San’s hair comfortingly. “Maybe he’s scared too,” the Hufflepuff murmured. “But you like him, right?” San nodded. “Don’t you think that’s worth taking a chance on? Even if he doesn’t feel the same way, at least you’ve been honest and took that leap of faith.”

Seonghwa had a feeling Jongho wasn’t only talking about Wooyoung and San, but kept quiet. He had faith in Yeosang.

***

A few days later, that faith was proven to be misplaced.

They were studying in the courtyard, just him and Yeosang (the rest of their little squad was busy with other classes), and Seonghwa should’ve known something was wrong when Yeosang offered him a fried drumstick. Yeosang  _ never  _ willingly gave up chicken.

He was right. Something was very wrong.

“Hwa, go with me to Yule Ball?” Yeosang asked, tugging cutely on Seonghwa’s sleeve, eyes big and round as he pouted. “Won’t you take your best friend to the dance?”

Seonghwa wasn’t swayed, raising a skeptical eyebrow. “Why aren’t you asking Jongho? Did he reject you? Do I need to pull out the Park Family Hex?”

Yeosang’s lips twitched into a vague grin before he dropped his cute expression, frowning instead. “No, he asked me to the Yule Ball this morning, actually. I said no.”

“What?” Seonghwa exploded. “Why in Merlin’s name did you say no? I thought you liked Jongho!”

“I do,” Yeosang rushed to assure him, “He’s so amazing and strong, and he keeps quiet in the library unlike you hooligans–” he cleared his throat at Seonghwa’s unimpressed stare. “Right. I just… I don’t know, Hwa. I’ve never liked someone like this before. How do I know I actually  _ like  _ him? What if I just end up leading him on? Or worse, what if he gets bored of me?”

Hearing Yeosang’s words, Seonghwa melted. He’d been so caught up in the WooSan mess and his own slowly blooming friendship with Hongjoong that he’d forgotten how shy Yeosang still could be, and how new these feelings were to him. “Sangie, it’s okay to not know if you like someone that way. The best thing you can do is be upfront with him – you need to let him know where your head's at, because he can’t read your mind. At least, I hope he’s not secretly a Legilimens,” he added. “No one really goes into dating with all their feelings sorted, and there’s nothing wrong with that. I will go with you, if that’s what you want, but you should talk to him.”

Yeosang sighed. “I know, I really should. I just… going to the Yule Ball together feels like a big commitment, especially since I don’t know what I feel. Besides, he probably won’t even want me after I’ve rejected him.”

“Kang Yeosang, you are not easily forgotten,” Seonghwa said sincerely. “Once you explain how you feel, I’m sure Jongho will understand.”

“Maybe,” Yeosang said, blushing slightly at Seonghwa’s compliment. “I think I need some time to think it over by myself though. Will you be my date? I don’t want to go alone, and Jongho knows we’re just friends.”

“I will,” Seonghwa smiled. “Let’s go to Hogsmeade this weekend? We can coordinate our outfits and accessories.”

Yeosang finally grinned in return. “Thank you, Hwa. I love you.”

“Love you too, Sangie.”

***

Seonghwa was utterly  _ screwed. _

Somehow, in the midst of helping Yeosang out (while avoiding Wooyoung and San; the two were becoming increasingly obvious in their flirtations while managing to be increasingly  _ oblivious  _ to the other’s advances), Quidditch practice, and thinking about his friendship with Hongjoong, he’d forgotten all about his homework – namely, an essay on the Patronus Charm that was due tomorrow.

He ran through the library, only pausing to murmur a hasty apology to the librarian as his feet pounded against the carpet, and ducked into the little reading nook he’d discovered ages ago–

–only to find it already occupied.

Seonghwa skidded to a stop. “Oh, it’s you,” he relaxed as he recognized the figure lounging in  _ his  _ reading nook. 

Hongjoong seemed equally surprised to see him, and put down the textbook he’d been reading. “What are you doing here?”

“Me? I’ve been coming here since third year. I didn’t know other people knew about this place.” Wooyoung was, for obvious reasons, all but banned from the library since fourth year – San had boycotted it out of solidarity, and Yeosang rarely liked studying with others around him, claiming everyone else had ‘chaotic energy’. This meant Seonghwa was usually alone in the library, and he’d found the little reading nook purely by coincidence after taking a wrong turn in the Herbology section.

Four years he’d been coming here, and never ran into anyone else. Now suddenly Hongjoong was here? It seemed too big of a coincidence, but Seonghwa found he didn’t really mind it.

“I found this nook just this semester,” Hongjoong said. “It’s nice and quiet – sorry, I didn’t know this was your spot.”

Seonghwa was still caught off-guard by Hongjoong’s casual apologies, more used to scathing remarks and joking insults. “Oh,” he stammered, “it’s not really  _ my  _ spot. Since you’re already here, we can… share? If you like,” he amended hastily. “I don’t mind other people around when I study.”

Hongjoong smiled, a small thing that brightened his face even in the dim library light. “I think I’ll be okay if it’s you,” he said, and Seonghwa couldn’t understand why those words made him blush.

They ended up settling comfortably in the nook, both of them facing each other and half propped on each other’s legs. Hongjoong’s Muggle jeans were painted with pretty patterns that were enchanted to sparkle, Seonghwa realized, and even his sneakers were painted over. “I like your shoes,” Seonghwa blurted, even though he was supposed to be studying and not admiring the other’s fashion.

“Oh! Thank you,” Hongjoong grinned, wiggling his feet cutely as if to show them off. “I reformed them myself.”

“I noticed you do that a lot.”

The grin grew wider and warmer. “You noticed?”

Seonghwa squirmed, unsure of why he was flustered by the simple question. “Well, it’s hard not to notice a bright red school uniform,” he said dryly instead, watching in fascination as Hongjoong threw his head back and laughed.

It was still jarring to see Hongjoong like this, so at ease and full of laughter. It was such a contrast to the Kim Hongjoong Seonghwa had known for the past six years, and he vastly preferred this one. Hongjoong had a nice laugh, and it was much nicer knowing Seonghwa was the reason for it. Like this, Seonghwa finally understood why Hongjoong was so well-liked.

“What can I say, I like bold colors,” the Gryffindor said, traces of laughter still in his voice. “I’ve always been interested in fashion, since before I came to Hogwarts; I think even if I were Muggle, I would’ve pursued a career as a designer. Aren’t you tired of wearing the same uniform all the time?”

“It’s nice to not think about what I have to wear,” Seonghwa protested. “Saves me time so I can study harder.”

“With all that studying you do, I’m surprised you aren’t in Ravenclaw,” Hongjoong teased.

Seonghwa laughed now, a chuckle that slipped past his lips easily. “The Sorting Hat considered putting me there, but I think my ambition is what placed me in Slytherin. After all, I’m not studying for the sake of knowledge.”

“What are you studying for then?”

The Slytherin thought about it, his textbook long forgotten. “I want to develop new potions. Not the sort of fun joke potions they sell at Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, though there’s nothing wrong with that! Those potions are super advanced and impressive, but I want to use potion making to help people. There’s a lot of wizards out there who aren’t that well off, maybe I can make a cheap nutritive potion that helps tide them over when there’s no food; or maybe I can develop potions to help mitigate the symptoms of lycanthropy, improving the current Wolfsbane Potion. As long as problems exist, I want to help solve them, and I can only do that if I study hard and get a job at Crescent Apothecary.”

When he finished explaining, Hongjoong was watching him quietly with a peculiar expression. “What?” Seonghwa asked self-consciously, stamping down the urge to check if he’d had something in his teeth this whole time. Merlin’s pants, he would probably melt in shame if that were the case.

“Nothing, just… that’s really admirable of you.” Hongjoong sounded sincere, and when Seonghwa met his gaze he saw a fondness that had never been there before. 

“Ah. Thank you,” he said awkwardly, not quite sure what to do with himself, and with one last smile they fell into a comfortable lull, only broken by the sound of pages flipping or pens scratching on parchment.

Finally, Hongjoong closed his textbook harshly, rubbing at his eyes. “I can’t take another minute of Arithmancy,” he moaned dramatically, pulling a chuckle from Seonghwa. “Distract me for a little?”

“How do you want me to distract you?” Seonghwa asked, amused. He obligingly put away the essay he’d been proofreading – he was almost done anyway, he could indulge the Gryffindor.

Hongjoong shrugged. “Tell me about yourself. Riddle me this: if you were a color, what would you be?”

The answer came to him instantly. “Black.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I look great in black,” Seonghwa smirked. Hongjoong burst out laughing at the frank answer, eyes crinkling into crescents.

“Fair enough,” he said once the laughter subsided. “What color do you think I’d be?” Hongjoong asked, putting his hands on his cheeks to imitate a flower. It was ridiculous (and just a little bit too cute for Seonghwa to handle).

“White,” he answered without hesitation. “Even though you wear so much color, you’re white to me because you have the potential for all kinds of growth. I think if you put your mind to it, you could do anything.”

There was a stunned silence, and Seonghwa was afraid he’d said something too deep for their weakly growing friendship to handle. He peeked up at Hongjoong only to find the Gryffindor staring out the window, eyes suspiciously glossy.

“Ah,” he said simply. “That’s… maybe the nicest thing anyone’s said about me.”

Seonghwa bit his lip in consideration before deciding to just go for it. He put a warm hand on Hongjoong’s knee and leaned closer, making eye contact with the other. “I mean it, Hongjoong. Even if you’re a bit of a pain, you’re brilliant. You’ve worked so hard and so passionately, it’s impossible to ignore.”

Hongjoong swallowed thickly, eyes darting across Seonghwa’s face with something akin to fear and wonder. “You really mean it?”

“I really do. Really, truly, genuinely.”

“Even the ‘bit of a pain’ part?”

“ _ Especially _ that part,” Seonghwa assured him, and they broke contact with their giggling. “Don’t think I’ve forgiven you for all the pranks you’ve pulled!”

“Well,” Hongjoong sobered up, “I have time to make it up to you.”

Seonghwa didn’t know what to say to that. It felt like… well, it felt like a promise. Something fragile and delicate hanging in the air between them, that somehow managed to stretch far into the future even after they weren’t forced to see each other every day… 

It should’ve scared Seonghwa, the thought of a lasting friendship with Hongjoong, but he couldn’t bring himself to fear it.

Too late he realized they’d fallen into a rather odd silence, and Hongjoong cleared his throat awkwardly. “So,” Hongjoong said, “have you found a date to the Yule Ball yet? You know, I’ve heard it’s tradition for the Heads to go together.”

Seonghwa had never heard of that tradition, but it made sense: the Heads were typically close friends (or… more), given that they were the top two students in the school and were usually in close proximity to each other anyway. It also made sense why Hongjoong was asking Seonghwa and not Yeosang – right, Seonghwa hadn’t forgotten about the Gryffindor’s crush. Perhaps now was the time to gently discourage the other from pursuing the Ravenclaw… “If you’d asked me a few days ago, I’d say yes, but Yeosang and I are already going together.” He watched carefully as Hongjoong’s expression changed.

“Yeosang? Kang Yeosang?” Hongjoong’s reaction was immediate, his cheeky smirk twisting into a deep scowl. “You’re going  _ together _ ?”

“Yes,” Seonghwa said simply. They were, technically speaking, going together – just not the  _ together  _ Hongjoong was clearly asking. It would be better this way, he reasoned to himself. Hongjoong could get over his crush, and Yeosang and Jongho could work themselves out without a jealous Gryffindor looking on from the sidelines.

He could handle Hongjoong’s anger. It was their old norm, after all. Hopefully, the Gryffindor wouldn’t be too mad at him for going with his crush, though that was looking increasingly unlikely as Hongjoong turned redder and redder. 

“Please don’t be upset,” Seonghwa said hurriedly, hoping to diffuse the situation. To his despair, it only agitated Hongjoong more.

“Upset?” Hongjoong laughed, but it sounded hollow, no longer the sound Seonghwa had quickly become accustomed to. “I’m not upset. Why do you think I’m upset?”

“You seem upset.”

“Well, I’m not! I have no reason to be upset. You’re free to go with whoever you want, it’s none of my business,” Hongjoong spat, scowling deeply despite his claims. He ran his hand through his hair harshly in agitation. “Look, I just thought… I don’t know. These past few days, I just… I thought I had a chance.” His voice trailed off, so low that Seonghwa almost didn’t hear him.

His heart hurt for his friend, but he knew it was better for Hongjoong to go through this temporary heartbreak than keep pining after someone who was all but taken. “Hongjoong,” he said gently, “I’m so sorry, but it won’t happen. It’s not possible.”

“Not possible,” Hongjoong echoed, eyes blank and fixed on Seonghwa.

He nodded. “There’s someone else in the equation. I don’t know why you thought there was a chance or what you’ve been feeling, and I’m sorry to be telling you this, but–”

“I got it,” Hongjoong interrupted, his hands twisting his shirt in clear discomfort. 

“Hongjoong–”

“I said I got it, okay? Stop trying to console me! Stop acting like my friend!” Hongjoong snapped.

Oh no. This was so much worse than he’d expected, and the situation was quickly spiraling out of control. “Please, let me be here for you–”

Hongjoong barked out a laugh. “Right now, you’re the last person I want to  _ be here for me _ . Stop looking at me like that!”

“Like what?” Seonghwa asked, trying to keep the hurt out of his voice.

“Like… like that!” Hongjoong gestured wildly at Seonghwa. “Like  _ I’m _ the one hurting  _ you _ !”

“It hurts me to see you like this,” Seonghwa said sincerely, but Hongjoong only chuckled bitterly.

“It hurts  _ you?  _ Why, because you’re the one hurting me? Because perfect, precious star-student Park Seonghwa can’t bear to see someone in pain because of him?” He huffed. “Guess what,  _ Park,  _ you’ll have to deal with a little hurt.”

“That’s not fair.” Seonghwa felt so lost, as if he and Hongjoong were shouting across an abyss of misunderstanding. He tried again. “I’m just concerned for you, you’re my friend–”

“ _ Friend, _ ” Hongjoong laughed bitterly. “Right. Sure.” He stood abruptly. “I can’t stay here anymore,” he said, shoving his textbooks into his bag haphazardly. He hesitated. “Have fun with Yeosang,” Hongjoong gritted out before darting through the entrance.

“Hongjoong!” Seonghwa cried out, but the Gryffindor was already gone. Well, that was nothing short of a disaster. He slumped back onto the seat, still warm from Hongjoong.

In retrospect perhaps he could’ve been gentler about it, or ask Hongjoong if he liked Yeosang first… but the Gryffindor’s reaction confirmed his suspicions for sure.  _ It’s better this way,  _ Seonghwa thought desperately.  _ It’s better for him to know now. _

And yet, when he remembered Hongjoong’s stricken expression… 

He wasn’t so sure anymore.

***

The weekend crept up on them and brought with it the first round of snow and dance lessons for the Yule Ball, led by none other than Seonghwa’s favorite professor.

Professor Jung was not only the Head of House for Slytherin, but also the yearly dance instructor for the Yule Ball. All students were offered an optional class with her for the ball, but most students attended – no one wanted to look out of place after all.

Seonghwa was not surprised to see Hongjoong there as well, sandwiched between Yunho and Mingi, though he felt rather ill seeing the Gryffindor’s bright smile fade upon spotting him and Yeosang. He gave Hongjoong what he hoped was a friendly smile but the other looked away, and Seonghwa suddenly wished he were anywhere but there. He’d gotten used to the other’s goodwill so ridiculously quick that he didn’t know how to deal with the sudden chilliness – this wasn’t new, he scolded himself. He’d been dealing with it for the past six years.

“Hey, why’s Hongjoong ignoring you? Aren’t you guys friends now?” Yeosang asked as they loitered by the edge of the classroom, draping an arm around Seonghwa. Jongho had opted out of the dance class, claiming his Muggle upbringing had included ballroom dancing, coincidentally sparing Yeosang from an awkward interaction. Wooyoung and San were running late, but had promised to arrive before the practice officially began.

“Ah, it’s… nothing. I told him I was going with you to the Yule Ball, and he got upset.”

“Upset?” Yeosang furrowed his brow. “Wait, did he ask you to the Yule Ball?”

Seonghwa hesitated. Should he tell Yeosang about Hongjoong’s crush? “He just said it was tradition for Heads to go together, but we already agreed to go together a few days before.”

“Seonghwa,” Yeosang groaned, “you cannot be that dense.”

Dense?  _ Him _ ? If anything, Yeosang was the dense one for not catching onto Hongjoong’s obvious staring, thought Seonghwa. His retort was cut off by Professor Jung clapping, effectively starting the lesson. 

Even though Seonghwa already knew how to dance, given his Pureblood heritage, he still attended the dance classes every year. They were a good refresher, and he always had fun dancing with his friends, though San used his hips much more than anyone ever should in ballroom dancing. Dancing with Yeosang was always entertaining – he always whispered snarky but harmless comments about Wooyoung and San and made Seonghwa laugh.

“Thank you everyone for coming to dance class! The Yule Ball is soon – I see a lot of first-timers here, so let’s begin with a demonstration. If our Head Boys wouldn’t mind...” She smiled at Hongjoong and Seonghwa expectantly.

_ Why does the universe hate me? _ Seonghwa moaned inside his head even as he stepped into the center of the room, coming face to face with Hongjoong. The Gryffindor looked displeased, face stony, and Seonghwa resisted the urge to shrink away. 

He’d done absolutely nothing wrong except tell a white lie to protect both Yeosang and Hongjoong; if Hongjoong wanted to be mad, then so be it. 

Somewhere behind him Wooyoung cheered. Seonghwa shot him a death glare, but that only spurred him on further, San pumping his fist in the air supportively. Honestly, if they spent even half as much time figuring out their love lives as they did teasing (read: bullying) him, Seonghwa’s life would be much less stressful.

The music began, and instinctively Seonghwa’s hands found Hongjoong’s waist as they started to dance. Hongjoong was unexpectedly graceful, effortlessly executing a twirl Seonghwa led him into. He hadn’t thought the Gryffindor would be so light on his feet, but it was a welcome surprise.

Seonghwa was distracted by his thoughts and stumbled slightly, gripping Hongjoong tighter and closer as he regained his balance–

–oh, Hongjoong was pressed right up against him now, a firm hand steadying the Slytherin, hot and low on his back. It was closer than they’d ever been (save for the closet incident they never spoke of), but Hongjoong made no move to pull away. Seonghwa was so close to him that he could count every fluttering eyelash and see those warm brown eyes looking up at him. His breath caught in his throat.

When Hongjoong was touched by the golden afternoon light just right, he was  _ ethereal.  _

It was a word that felt only appropriate for Yeosang, but no other word could hope to describe Hongjoong, his delicate features accented by crimson red hair like a halo. Even though Seonghwa was taller, there was an intensity in Hongjoong’s eyes that made him feel small – as if Hongjoong were the sun itself and Seonghwa was but the moon, capable of nothing more than reflecting his brilliance.

“You’re staring,” Hongjoong murmured as they danced, Seonghwa’s feet somehow finding the right steps even in his distraction. 

“I’m sorry,” he said, but he could not pull his eyes away. “I didn’t mean to...”

“It’s alright.” Tense, short – it left no room for Seonghwa to navigate.

Seonghwa bit his lip, worrying the soft flesh. “You’re still upset with me.”

Hongjoong didn’t respond for a minute, gracefully spinning around Seonghwa. “I am. It’s… not something you can help. I just need some time to get over it.”

“Are you sure I can’t do anything?”

The Gryffindor hesitated. “I just need some space,” he said eventually, stepping back from Seonghwa. He felt cold without the shorter boy, and with a confused blink realized the music had stopped and the students were clapping politely at their finished demo. “I’ll see you around for Head Boy duties, okay?”

“Okay,” Seonghwa said as Hongjoong walked away, smiling brightly at Yunho and Mingi.

Despite the short interaction, Seonghwa felt hope. Maybe they would be okay after all, once Hongjoong got over his crush on Yeosang. 

Maybe they could still save their friendship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> writing the fight was so painful ajskbfjksd but I promise next chapter we'll get the Yule Ball and everything will be better! 
> 
> ps if you haven't already please go watch Jongho's new OST cover, he performed a duet with a famous Korean singer and it would mean so much for his video to do well!


	7. Yule Be Mine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for waiting, sorry this chapter took so long! I hope you enjoy it <3
> 
> For reference, Seonghwa is wearing his MAMA 2020 outfit, Yeosang/Jongho are wearing their modern hanboks, San/Wooyoung are wearing the champagne outfits (I forgot which stage it was oops), and Hongjoong is wearing something I thought up myself!
> 
> On to the chapter!

The day they were all waiting for finally happened, but in a significantly less dramatic manner than Seonghwa had expected.

“Sannie,” Wooyoung said at lunch, “do you want to go to the Yule Ball with me?”

Seonghwa, who was sitting across from Wooyoung, nearly spat out his pumpkin juice. It went down the wrong pipe instead and Seonghwa forced himself to choke quietly – he would never forgive himself if he were the reason this sudden progress failed, breathing be damned.

San looked equally stunned, his food falling off his fork as he stared at Wooyoung. “Uh...” he stuttered eloquently, eyes darting to Yeosang and Seonghwa like a trapped bird. 

“As more than friends,” Wooyoung elaborated. He had a confident smile on, but Seonghwa could see the uncertainty in his eyes, growing with each second that San didn’t respond.

Yeosang, who sat on San’s other side, poked him harshly in the ribs. “Answer him!” He hissed, grabbing the fork out of the frozen Slytherin’s hand.

“It’s okay,” Wooyoung forced out a laugh, “I just… it’s our last year, San, and I’ve liked you since  _ forever _ . Like, from the moment I sat next to you right after our Sorting, and you smiled at me with your dimples and your eyes all scrunched. I love the way you laugh, and how you were shit at Transfiguration but practiced every night until you became the best student in the class, how you cried that one time we watched a Muggle film and let us hold and comfort you. Hugging you feels like coming home, whether it’s a happy hug or a sad and lonely one. I care so much about you, San, and you’re the only one I want to dance with at our last Yule Ball. I’m tired of dancing around it and pretending like I’m not in love with you. You deserve someone who will cherish you like the precious person you are, and I really hope you’ll let me be that person for you. So,” he cleared his throat, embarrassed but forging on, “will you be my date? And maybe my boyfriend too?”

San flung himself at Wooyoung, arms wrapping around the younger’s waist. “Yes, yes yes yes!” There was a flurry of pink and purple as the two hugged, gazing adoringly at each other while Seonghwa and Yeosang looked on like proud parents.

“They’ve grown so much,” Seonghwa sniffed, wiping away an imaginary tear. “Is it too early to start planning the wedding?”

“I’ve had a color scheme picked out for forever,” Yeosang smirked, fist-bumping Seonghwa with a proud look on his face. “Now they just need to kiss– oh, ok, they’re doing that.  _ Nevermind.  _ Ew ew ew.”

“Get a room!” Seonghwa hollered, but then remembered he shared a room with them. “Wait, no–”

***

Once the incident was over, Wooyoung and San were  _ unbearable.  _ Nothing much had actually changed – the two had practically been dating for years now, but what did change was how public they were about their… affections. It was like they couldn’t hold themselves back from shouting their affection, which was equally endearing and nauseating to see. Yeosang escaped by simply sitting at the Ravenclaw table for lunch, but Seonghwa was always cornered by the other two (and usually subsequently ignored in favor of each other).

“Maybe you’re just jealous,” Wooyoung snarked one day when Seonghwa was being dramatic and covering his eyes like a kid. “Go find someone and stop third-wheeling us then!”

“You think I want to third-wheel??” Seonghwa huffed in faux outrage. “All my friends are taken or in the process of being taken!”

“Not Hongjoong,” Wooyoung blurted, and Seonghwa’s thoughts came to a screeching halt. “Ow! Sannie, why’d you kick me?”

“They’re fighting, remember?” San hissed, as if Seonghwa couldn’t hear. His face burned red. 

“Even if we weren’t fighting – which we  _ aren’t,  _ he just needs some time – I wouldn’t date him!” Seonghwa said hotly. Even if the Gryffindor was attractive, even if he was more understanding and thoughtful than Seonghwa could have imagined, even if his eyes took Seonghwa’s breath away–

_ Whoa.  _ Seonghwa yeeted the thought away instantly. Where had that even come from? 

“Hwa,” San said, his voice gently pulling Seonghwa out of his panic, “you never told us what exactly happened between you two.”

“Yeah, all we know is that you two suddenly became super chummy, then at the dance lesson he seemed pissed but also sad. The pranks stopped too,” Wooyoung said thoughtfully. Seonghwa was startled. Since when was Wooyoung so observant?

He hesitated. Hongjoong’s crush on Yeosang wasn’t really his thing to tell, but it could help to have an outside perspective provide insight on what exactly went wrong that day. He told them about the library incident, careful to keep Hongjoong’s crush anonymous.

When he finished, both of them stared at him. “What?” Seonghwa fidgeted, increasingly uncomfortable under their gazes. 

“For someone so smart, you’re really dumb, Hwa,” said San. He sounded almost awestruck, but Seonghwa was offended.

“What in Merlin’s name does that mean?” He groaned. “I know I could’ve definitely phrased things better, but I don’t get why he got so  _ mad. _ ”

“Seonghwa, he asked  _ you  _ to the ball. You said he only got really upset when you mentioned you were going with Yeosang, right?” Wooyoung asked.

Seonghwa wasn’t sure what they were trying to get at. “I suppose,” he said hesitantly. 

“And you said Hongjoong said he thought he had a chance, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Seonghwa,” San said patiently, “I’m pretty sure Hongjoong meant a chance with  _ you.  _ As in, Hongjoong has a crush on you.”

It felt like the world had stopped spinning, or the sun exploded, or some equally world-ending event had just occurred. “That’s not possible,” he laughed, the sound hollow to his own ears. “No, Hongjoong can’t have liked me, he hated me–”

_ “I don’t hate you,”  _ Hongjoong’s voice suddenly rang in his ears. No. No, it wasn’t possible.

“Alright.” Wooyoung leaned closer into Seonghwa’s space, the lilac-haired boy looking unusually serious. “We’ll let you think about that more later. The real question is, if you hadn’t thought Hongjoong had a crush on someone else, would you have said yes?”

“But I’m going with Yeosang–”

“Other than that,” Wooyoung said impatiently. “You’re free, and Hongjoong asks you to go to the Yule Ball with him. Would you say yes?”

It hadn’t really occurred to him before. When Hongjoong asked, Seonghwa had automatically thought he’d been asking only to be polite, or to ask about Yeosang in a roundabout way. Imagine if Hongjoong had asked Seonghwa genuinely to the ball… 

Seonghwa thought of Hongjoong’s eyes in the afternoon light, his cherry red hair glowing brightly, his laugh untainted by malice, and thought the answer might terrifyingly be  _ yes. _

Apparently his thoughts showed, because both San and Wooyoung watched him with pity in their eyes. “Oh, Hwa,” San sighed, sliding over to wrap his arms around Seonghwa’s waist, “you should talk to Hongjoong.”

“No.” The word was out instinctively. “No, I– I can’t – when did I even start–”

But if he was being honest, he knew exactly when he started liking Hongjoong, or at least began thinking of him in a different light. That night in the Prefect bathroom, when Seonghwa had been so frustrated, and Hongjoong had respected his wishes and left him alone… 

He thought back to the love perfume incident, when Hongjoong had actually  _ talked  _ to him, with no ulterior motive except mutual understanding, when he’d helped Seonghwa hide from the bespelled students… 

But there was no way Hongjoong liked Seonghwa. Not when he’d pranked and taunted the Slytherin for so long, not when Hongjoong’s eyes were always on Yeosang. 

Seonghwa didn’t know what to do. He buried his face into San’s shoulder and tried very hard not to think anymore of it.

***

The Yule Ball was finally here. Seonghwa glanced at his outfit laid out on his bed – was it too daring? Would Hongjoong like it? He and Yeosang had coordinated their outfits but only minimally – Yeosang was adamant that they shouldn’t match too much just in case Jongho got the wrong idea. “That applies to Hongjoong too,” he’d said sternly after Seonghwa told him about his realization. “We need to make sure he knows you’re still available – not  _ too  _ available though, maybe it’ll help to make him jealous. Well, jealous and hor–”

Seonghwa sighed and fixed his hair in the mirror, struggling to get it to fall just right. He’d gelled it up so part of his grey hair curled over one eye, revealing his forehead and undercut. It showed off his pink eye makeup, and the jewels he’d charmed under his eye sparkled nicely. 

“Hwa, Yeosang’s here!” Wooyoung hollered from the Common Room. He and San had already gotten ready and were waiting on Seonghwa.

“Coming!” He yelled back. Throwing one last look of trepidation at the outfit, he shucked off his clothes and got dressed.

Yeosang was perched daintily on the edge of a couch when Seonghwa came down the stairs. He wore a sheer midnight-blue modern hanbok cinched at the waist with a thick satin belt, the dark colors making his white-blond hair stand out even better. His eyes widened when he caught sight of Seonghwa even though they’d purchased their outfits together, and he whistled lightly in appreciation. “Damn, Hwa, that will  _ definitely _ get Hongjoong’s attention.”

“You look amazing!” San chirped from the other side of the couch, where he and Wooyoung were practically glued to each other. They wore matching outfits of satiny champagne, showing off San’s muscled arms and Wooyoung’s chest.

“It’s not too much?” Seonghwa resisted the urge to cover up. His outfit was also dark blue, like Yeosang’s, only instead of sheer satin he had thick velvet. The sleeveless top was open at the chest but clasped at the neck, a white teardrop-shaped gemstone hanging from it like a choker. His abs were exposed again, a peek of skin among the dark fabric. The top hung all the way down to his ankles like a cape, brushing against his dark-blue trousers. There were also green feathers and a silver brooch attached to his left breast for a little House pride – all in all it was fancy and flashy, and he couldn’t help but feel a little silly and overdressed. It was also the most skin he’d ever shown, and while it wasn’t uncomfortable for him, he couldn’t help but feel a bit shy.

“Trust me, Seonghwa, Hongjoong’s not going to be able to look anywhere else.” Wooyoung gave him a thumbs up and leapt off the couch. “Now come on, time to get your man!”

The Great Hall had been transformed into a ballroom as was tradition, and the ceiling was enchanted with snow that fell realistically but melted into nothing before it came into contact with anyone. A huge pine tree had been placed behind the Faculty Table, laden with silver and gold ornaments, and tables with powder-blue cloths had been placed around a dancefloor. All in all, the Great Hall looked like a wintry wonderland, and Seonghwa couldn’t help but gawk at all the shimmering decorations. 

Yeosang, who had been holding onto Seonghwa’s bent arm, let out a shrill squeak. “Yeosang? Are you okay?” Seonghwa asked. He’d never heard that sound come from Yeosang before. “What happened?”

The blond’s mouth opened and closed like a fish as he stared into the distance; it would have been comical if Seonghwa weren’t so worried. “I– he–” 

Seonghwa followed his gaze to find none other than Choi Jongho, wearing a modern hanbok in midnight blue – just like Yeosang. “Ah, good, he followed my advice,” Seonghwa smirked. 

Yeosang whirled on Seonghwa. “Advice? What advice?” He demanded.

Seonghwa shrugged, sly smirk still on his lips. His friends often seemed to forget he was in Slytherin due to his ambition  _ and  _ cunning. “I merely let him know what you would be wearing, and that it might be nice to match. I also warned him about the Park Family Hex, the Jung Family Hex, and that San knows taekwondo.” Yeosang groaned at that, his face slowly turning red with embarrassment. “I also told him I thought he was a good guy, and that you just needed time and would talk to him. I think he was worried he messed things up.” Seonghwa genuinely liked Jongho – the boy seemed sincere, and during their conversation he’d simply asked if Yeosang was doing okay. 

“You’re not off the hook,” Yeosang warned, though his blush detracted from the threat. “We’ll have a talk about this later.”

“Of course,” Seonghwa agreed amicably. “Now go get your man. The hanbok looks good on him, doesn’t it?”

Yeosang ducked his head shyly, much to Seonghwa’s amusement. It didn’t last long, however, as Yeosang raised his eyes and located a different target. “Hmm, you should stop paying attention to me and Jongho and see what Hongjoong’s wearing instead.”

“What–” Seonghwa looked, confused when he didn’t spot cherry red hair. “Oh,” he breathed, heart hammering in his chest as Hongjoong came into view.

Beyond a distinctly awkward night patrol a few days ago, Seonghwa had not seen Hongjoong at all – they’d had the week off of class and the atmosphere was still tense between them. Seonghwa suddenly felt hot all over as he watched Hongjoong laugh with Yunho and Mingi, head thrown back in mirth.

Because his hair was  _ pink.  _

Not a bright pink like San’s, but a light pink that reminded him of cherry blossoms in the spring. Hongjoong had done it up to reveal an undercut, the hair fluffy atop his head. His eyes were dark and smoky with a subtle hint of glitter to match his outfit–

Seonghwa choked. That couldn’t be– Hongjoong was wearing–

“That skirt looks good on him, doesn’t it?” Yeosang parroted, lips curved in a teasing smile at Seonghwa’s helplessness.

Hongjoong was wearing a  _ skirt.  _ Not just any skirt – no, this one was made of dark green velvet, hugging his waist and flaring out at the edges, embroidered with swirling silver patterns. His top was a loose off-the-shoulder black button-down tied above the waistband of the skirt, and he wore a multitude of pretty silver earrings.

By Merlin, Seonghwa did not think he would survive this night. Not with Hongjoong standing so close yet so far, eyes full of merriment and looking so ethereal, he reminded Seonghwa of ancient fairies who spirited away humans for entertainment… 

He blinked, breaking himself from the spell. Yeosang had abandoned him to his gawking, the blond already making his way towards Jongho. Seonghwa snickered to himself as he saw the redhead’s reaction, the Hufflepuff’s eyes widening comically as he took in Yeosang’s appearance. They would be alright, Seonghwa decided.

Wooyoung and San were, as expected, already on the dance floor. They’d made a beeline for it as soon as the four of them stepped into the ballroom and were dancing in the middle of a crowd, clearly having fun. He thought about joining them when he felt someone’s gaze on his back.

Seonghwa turned and made eye contact with Hongjoong. The other’s expression didn’t change – Hongjoong’s face was completely blank and devoid of emotion as his eyes flicked up and down Seonghwa’s outfit, and the Slytherin fought down the urge to blush. Instead he lifted his chin, daring the Gryffindor to look his fill, his tongue darting out to wet his dry lips. Hongjoong looked away then, eyes landing on–

Oh. Seonghwa’s giddy heart instantly sank as he noticed who Hongjoong was looking at.  _ Yeosang.  _ Hongjoong stared at Yeosang and Jongho with a deep frown, attention entirely taken away from Seonghwa. He suddenly felt small and cold.

So his friends had been wrong after all. Hongjoong didn’t like Seonghwa like that, had never liked Seonghwa like that. He was probably judging Seonghwa’s outfit, not admiring it. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid.

Seonghwa forced his bitter thoughts away, ignoring the pang of his heart. It was just a silly crush that he hadn’t even  _ known  _ about until this past week, so what was he so upset for? His feet carried him to the dance floor and he put on a smile, letting the music sweep his emotions away.

***

“Seonghwa, Seonghwa,” San giggled as he batted at Seonghwa’s feathers, half-lying on his lap. There was no actual alcohol provided (after all, this was still a school dance), but San always got giggly and touchy when he was having fun. “Seonghwa, I did a thing!”

“You did?” Seonghwa asked, more to humor him than out of curiosity. Wooyoung had gone to fetch them all more punch, so Seonghwa was the unfortunate subject of San’s clinginess. It was nearing midnight but the ball showed no signs of winding down, which was good since San and Wooyoung still had so much energy to spare.

San nodded sagely. “I hung up a mistletoe for Yeosangie and Jongho. One that will make them kiss! They just need to stand under it.” He giggled again, clearly pleased with himself.

“You what?” Seonghwa could only blink in shock. It was the plan he and Yeosang had joked about executing for Woo and San, but they hadn’t needed to since Wooyoung finally asked San out. 

“I’m not dumb, Hwa, I literally heard you and Yeosangie talking about it all the time,” San smirked. 

“I don’t think they’ll need it though, look–” Seonghwa pointed at Yeosang and Jongho, who were sitting at a different table so close together they were practically one person. “I think things are going well.”

“Yay!” San cheered quietly, flopping his head back down onto Seonghwa’s lap. “Now it’s just you left, Hwa. Let’s get Hongjoong over here!”

Something in his gut churned unpleasantly. “Let’s not,” he managed to say, stroking San’s hair. “I’m fine just like this, with you and Wooyoung.”

San frowned, noticing the change in mood. “Hwa–”

He was interrupted by Wooyoung, who was struggling to balance three cups of punch. “Here you go!”

“Thanks Woo, but I think I’ll just head back to the dungeons. I have an essay I need to finish for Charms,” Seonghwa smiled. He wasn’t really in the mood to see Hongjoong stare at Yeosang – yes, the Gryffindor seemed to be watching him every chance he got – and he didn’t want to spoil the mood any further. “Have fun you two, don’t get into any trouble. And no PDA!” He said sternly, the two dissolving into giggles.

“Bye, Hwa,” they chorused, and Seonghwa left with a more real smile on his face.

As soon as he left the ballroom, he felt oddly empty. “Stop it,” he muttered to himself. So what if Hongjoong didn’t like him that way? It was better this way, Seonghwa could get rid of those pesky feelings now and focus on his grades again. There was no room in his schedule for dating anyway.

Why did he feel so empty?

He groaned, throwing his head back in frustration–

–and caught sight of a glittering plant above his head.

Oh no. It must be the enchanted mistletoe San had hung up for Yeosang and Jongho, twinkling tauntingly above him. Seonghwa’s suspicions were confirmed when he pulled and tugged at his immobile feet uselessly; knowing San, there would be no countercharm except for its intended one: someone else kissing the trapped person.

He thought through his options frantically. Yeosang was with Jongho now, hopefully talking through their feelings (or possibly making out – not a possibility he wanted to think much about). Wooyoung and San were  _ definitely  _ making out, if the looks they were giving each other the whole night were anything to go by. This was a relatively unused corridor except by Slytherins, most of whom were still at the ball. The chances of someone else leaving soon were not high, but Seonghwa had to be optimistic. He just prayed no one from his so-called fanclub found him – he’d take literally anyone right now except for one of  _ them. _

He quickly revised this thought when none other than Hongjoong rounded the corner. The Gryffindor hadn’t noticed him yet – when he did, his eyes lit up with a familiar mocking gleam, though his smile seemed a little forced. “What are you doing all alone out here, Park? I think your date’s being entertained by Choi Jongho right now, while you’re loitering like a weirdo in the empty halls.” Even his insults were lackluster, like he was grinding the words out to act normal, but Seonghwa didn’t pay it much mind – he was desperately trying to figure out how to keep Hongjoong away from the mistletoe’s range.

Not that he would really mind kissing Hongjoong–

_ No! Bad Seonghwa!  _ He mentally smacked himself, realizing Hongjoong was still waiting for a response, head cocked cutely to the side. “Ah, I was heading back to the Slytherin dorms,” he said. “And I’m glad Jongho is with Yeosang.”

Hongjoong looked taken aback. “What? Why?”

“Because Yeosang likes Jongho,” Seonghwa said. “And Jongho likes him back.”

“But Yeosang came with you.”

Seonghwa sighed, his exasperation at the situation finally finding an outlet. “True, but that’s because Yeosang wasn’t sure about his feelings for Jongho. We came just as friends, so I’m glad things are working out for them now.”

“Oh.” Hongjoong seemed rather puzzled still but nodded along anyway. “Are you feeling alright about that?”

Seonghwa frowned. “Shouldn’t I be asking you–” Too late he realized the Gryffindor was about to step into the mistletoe’s range. “Hongjoong, stay–”  _ Whoosh.  _ “–back,” he groaned as the enchanted plant worked its charm.

Hongjoong’s eyes widened. “Is that–” He tried to lift his feet but they were stuck fast to the floor.

“Yep,” Seonghwa said grimly. “That’s how I got stuck here, I was hoping someone other than my fanclub would find me. Well, I was actually hoping you wouldn’t find me either.”

“How come?” 

_ Because you’ve been avoiding me the whole night– _

_ Because you look like a fairy and it’s not fair– _

_ Because I think I want you to kiss me– _

Seonghwa’s lips parted, but couldn’t voice any of his thoughts. Hongjoong was close enough that his skirt brushed Seonghwa’s thighs and it was far too distracting, Seonghwa had to fight to keep the blush off his cheeks. “Uh,” he said eloquently. The Slytherin floundered for a moment before settling on the first thought. “You were avoiding me the whole night. Every time I so much as looked at you, you turned away. I thought you were still upset at me.”

Hongjoong sighed. “I thought it would be best to avoid you. You know, because of what happened in the library. I didn’t know what I’d do if you came and talked to me, looking like– like  _ that _ ,” he gestured vaguely at all of Seonghwa.

“Like… what?” Seonghwa looked down at himself. “What’s wrong with my outfit?”

The Gryffindor groaned. “You just strutted into the ballroom with your stupid velvet outfit and stupid hair–”

Okay, now he was offended. Seonghwa had worked  _ hard  _ on his hair and makeup, damnit. So what if it was a little more styled than normal? Was it a crime to want to look good at  _ the  _ event of the year? 

Alright, so maybe he’d wanted to dress a little nicer because of a certain Gryffindor, but that clearly backfired. Stupid?  _ Stupid? _ He opened his mouth to make an angry retort.

“You look too good, okay?” Hongjoong blurted.

Oh.

What?

_ What? _

“I… you… what?” Seonghwa didn’t think this was real anymore, this must be some strange dream or hallucination. Maybe San put the wrong charm on the mistletoe.

Hongjoong’s cheeks were redder than his shirt now. “You look… really good tonight,” he muttered, eyes focused on the floor. “Not just tonight!” He added hastily, “but… you look especially nice.”

“O-oh,” Seonghwa stuttered, feeling rather off-balance. “You look good too,” he added, biting back the words he really wanted to say.

A blush dusted Hongjoong’s cheeks but he continued staring at the floor like it was the most interesting thing in the world. “Thanks.”

A tense and awkward silence followed, and Seonghwa desperately fought to hide how much the compliment had affected him. Hongjoong didn’t mean it that way, he couldn’t have…

“Look,” Hongjoong broke the silence, “I’m sorry about being weird and avoiding you lately. I just… really needed time to myself.”

Seonghwa frowned. "I should be the one apologizing. I didn't realize how harsh I sounded until after," he chuckled wryly. "I should've been gentler about it. Maybe I could've just told you Yeosang liked Jongho, instead of that weird 'there's another person' thing–"

"Hang on," Hongjoong interrupted, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, "Why would you bring up Yeosang and Jongho?"

What? It was Seonghwa's turn to be confused now. "Why wouldn't I bring them up?" He asked slowly, not entirely sure what was going on anymore. "You liked Yeosang, but he likes Jongho, so I was trying to be gentle. That didn't really work though," he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

Hongjoong stared at him, mouth open in what looked like shock. "Yeosang," he repeated. "You thought I liked Yeosang?"

What?

"Did you...not?" Oh Merlin, Seonghwa was about ready to die of embarrassment. Maybe a freak bolt of lightning could conveniently strike him down. Had he really incorrectly guessed who Hongjoong liked? Then what was with all his staring at Yeosang earlier?

If not Yeosang, then who could the Gryffindor possibly have a crush on? He tried to stifle the rising hope in him.

"You–" Hongjoong laughed, disbelieving and a little unhinged, "you're really something else, Seonghwa."

"What do you m–" 

And  _ oh _ . Those were lips.

On his lips.

Hongjoong's lips. 

Kissing his lips.

_ Hongjoong's lips. _

They felt just as soft as they looked, pressed gently against Seonghwa's own with the faintest hint of strawberry punch. It felt like flying, like Seonghwa was weightless and would float away if Hongjoong's warm hands weren't holding his hips.

This didn't feel real. Hongjoong was  _ kissing _ him.  _ Him.  _ Seonghwa's brain finally caught up and moved his frozen limbs, pulling the shorter boy closer and tangling his hand in his hair. Hongjoong was so warm and pliant against him, both of them melting into the kiss, ignoring the need for oxygen–

Suddenly Seonghwa was cold and gasping for breath. Hongjoong was breathing hard too, eyes roving over Seonghwa's face like he was searching for something–

The Gryffindor booked it down the hall, practically sprinting into the distance. Seonghwa was too shell-shocked to even stop him, just staring blankly at the spot Hongjoong had stood in. His lips were tingling and he touched them, trying to preserve the feeling of Hongjoong–

Hongjoong  _ kissed him.  _ Kim Hongjoong, who Seonghwa thought liked Yeosang and hated Seonghwa for it, had put his lips on Seonghwa's lips and held him like he was a precious thing–

_ And immediately ran away,  _ Seonghwa remembered, his giddy thoughts screeching to a halt.

Why did he run? Wait… so then… 

Seonghwa was no longer trapped by the mistletoe, but he felt so weighed down that he couldn’t move even if he wanted to. He replayed the disastrous conversation with Hongjoong again, this time with  _ him  _ as the object of the Gryffindor’s affections, and let himself believe what San and Wooyoung had said. “Shit,” he swore under his breath. His head swam with the newfound knowledge. Hongjoong must have thought Seonghwa was rejecting him, when Seonghwa had thought he liked  _ Yeosang _ .

So Hongjoong needing space was because he wanted to get over  _ Seonghwa _ , not Yeosang… but then the kiss… 

Doubt crept into his mind. Maybe Hongjoong had kissed him only so he could escape the enchantment, but the look in his eyes… they had been blazing with warmth. 

Seonghwa felt like he was living in a parallel universe. He’d come to terms with his own attraction to Hongjoong, and the kiss had been brilliant, but…

He just couldn’t stop wondering what the other was thinking. Why did he run? Why didn’t he stay? Did he still like Seonghwa that way?

Heart heavy, he trudged towards the Slytherin dorms. There was no use pondering that now, not when he was still reeling from the emotional rollercoaster of the night. 

All he could do was wait for morning, and pray that Hongjoong wouldn’t disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hehet :3 feel free to scream at me in the comments!
> 
> P.S. if you haven't heard, there's a Kingdom intro stage for ATEEZ on Feb 23, 8PM KST! It's free to watch and stream on Youtube, if you do stream please make sure to watch the one without English subtitles, and if you have a Whosfan account please vote for ATEEZ during 8:15-9:15PM KST!

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! You can find me on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/zhjl7) where I yell about Seonghwa and occasionally post theories!


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